Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects approximately 1-2% of Canadians in their lifetime. It often begins in late childhood for boys and slightly later for girls.
Someone with OCD experiences obsessions, compulsions, or both, which can cause a lot of distress, take up a lot of time, and prevent you from being able to do well at school, at work, or in your relationships
Obsessions are frequently occurring thoughts that feel out of your control and cause you significant distress and anxiety. They may or may not be realistic.
- Some examples include:
- Contamination by germs
- Doubt about whether a particular action was performed (e.g., was the front door locked?)
- Having things in a particular order
- Impulses to commit a violent act
- And more
Compulsions are repetitive and frequent behaviours or rituals. Although compulsions are performed as a to decrease the anxiety caused by an obsession, they actually make the obsession worse in the long-term. Compulsions are very difficult to resist.
- Some examples include:
- Washing or cleaning
- Checking if something was done
- Putting things in a specific order
- Counting objects
- Repeating actions
- Asking for reassurance
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