What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

The person who suffers from OCD, is plagued by feelings of anxieties. And though their fears are often anchored in reality they are usually extreme and irrational. They also interfere with the persons daily life and can seriously strain their relationships.
OCD has five categories of obsession.

These are:
• Washers (people who are terrified of contamination)
• Checkers (people who are afraid that something terrible could happen – because they forgot to take some action)
• Doubters and sinners (people who are afraid of being less than perfect – and are waiting to be caught and punished for mistakes)
• Counters and arrangers (people who have an obsession with order and symmetry. They are often very superstitious, too)
• Hoarders (people who cant throw anything away). Thus, they compulsively store things theyll never use such as newspapers, receipts and old medicine bottles.

Common thought obsessions include:
• Sexually explicit or violent thoughts,
• The fear of harming yourself or other people.
Common compulsive behaviours include:
• Repeatedly checking on people you love to make sure they are still alive and safe; or
• Counting, tapping or doing senseless things to try and relieve feelings of anxiety.

CBT is believed to be the most effective means for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Specific strategies include:
1. Helping the client to anticipate obsessive and compulsive urges – and then to take concrete steps to bring them under control. For example, if a clients compulsive behaviour takes the form of repeatedly checking to see that their doors are locked, they could be encouraged to remove the keys after locking the door, and then put them in their pocket (where theyre easy to find).

2. Another practical approach is to schedule their worries for a set time each day. For example, they might decide to worry and check everything for an hour, between 6 and 7pm each night. Once that time is up, they must resume their normal activities. If obsessive thoughts plague then in the daytime, the person is encouraged to write them in a journal and then check them over at the scheduled time.

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