Saturday, August 9, 2008

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is an anxiety disorder characterised by unwanted or intrusive thoughts(obsessions) which leads to repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions)that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession to get relieved from anxiety.


For example:
If people are obsessed with germs or dirt, they may develop a compulsion to wash their hands over and over again repeatedly upto the level of distress.
Many people have doubt that the door is locked or not; they may develop a compulsion to check repeatedly if it is locked or not.


These are some situations encounterd by normal people also but the difference is that people with OCD perform their rituals several times even though doing so interferes with daily life till they feel the repetition distressing.

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