OCD

The term OCD is often used to describe someone who is extreme in areas such as cleaning or organization, or is detail-oriented and particular. It is sometimes seen as a joke, however obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is misunderstood. What does OCD mean? Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not simply being neat, organized, or overly meticulous. It is a serious mental health condition that significantly impacts a person’s life by interfering with daily activities or healthy thought processes. There are two aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder: the first is obsessive thinking, and the second is compulsive behaviors. Obsessive thinking is an unhealthy thought process in which a person’s thoughts get stuck on a certain idea, and they are unable to redirect their thoughts. These thoughts are often intrusive and overwhelming. The compulsive part of OCD describes the behaviors that a person feels driven to do, often without logical reasons; however, the desire to do these behaviors is hard to avoid and dismiss. In mental health, for something to be considered a disorder, it must interfere with a person’s life, including relationships. ability to work, take proper care of themselves, or others. Obsessive thinking is characterized by unwanted intrusive thoughts, and the person has extreme difficulty not focusing on these thoughts, and the compulsive behaviors are often driven by the obsessive thinking. Compulsive behaviors are often repetitive behaviors and may be illogical and unproductive. Having obsessive-compulsive disorder not only interferes with a person’s day-to-day life, but it can also impact a person’s self-esteem, as they may feel that they have a character weakness that prevents them from being able to overcome obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. However, when in fact the condition is a mental disorder and not a character flaw or a personality weakness. A person with OCD often realizes that their thoughts and [...]