Do I have OCD?
It is currently ‘in vogue’ to call your tidy, neat checking
behaviour OCD. This I have to say is something real OCD sufferers find very
irritating and dismissing of the true disabling extent of the condition.
To add to the confusion there is another similar named
personality disorder that often gets missed diagnosed as OCD. Obsessive
Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is a behaviour condition which enables
the effected person to stay in control of their surroundings. People with OCPD really like their obsessive
tidiness or inflexible behaviours as it gives them a feeling of satisfaction
and control. So the way to distinguish if you are suffering from OCPD or OCD is
to ask yourself. Do I enjoy and receive satisfaction from my behaviours or do I
have to do them as a result of the feared consequences if I don’t? People who
experience OCD generally hate having to do their compulsions/ behaviours but
perform them to stop anything terrible from happening. People with OCPD like
doing their compulsions/behaviours because it gives them a sense of control.
Here is a check list of symptoms that may enable you to
distinguish if you have OCD or just some traits of OCD.
·
Do your compulsions/rituals take up more than an
hour a day and they are distressing to you?
·
If you don’t perform your rituals do you feel anxious
that something terrible may happen?
·
Are you overly concerned about safety to
yourself and or others?
·
Do you check a lot then doubt that you have
checked properly?
·
Do you fear causing any harm to innocent people?
·
Do you fear losing control and acting out
something that is completely abhorrent and objectionable to you?
·
Do you feel an overriding sense of duty to keep
others safe?
·
Do you worry about losing your mind?
·
Do you fear being around people, children,
animals in fear that you may lose control and act out on an intrusive thought
or feeling?
·
Do you
question and doubt your own sexuality?
·
Do you experience unfounded doubts about your partner?
·
Do you overanalyse people and situations and
find it hard to move on?
·
Do you find yourself locked into a ruminative state,
which continues to cause distress, fear, doubt and anxiousness?
·
Do you avoid, people, places and things that
remind you of something you fear?
·
Do you
have lucky or unlucky numbers, words, images, clothes, days, colours etc
·
Do you giving meaning to meaningless things?
·
Do you fear for your health and or the health of
your loved ones?
·
Do you find it hard to discard what others perceive
as junk?
·
Do you have thoughts, ideas, and doubts about
having committed a crime without a clear memory and no evidence to support it?
·
Do you have an exaggerated fear of foods,
chemicals, dirt, bodily fluids, medication and alcohol?
If you have answered yes to any of the above and it takes up
more than an hour of your day and you are very distressed by it, then it likely
that you may be suffering from OCD. To get a formal diagnosis you must see a
mental health expert via your doctor like a psychologist or psychiatrist who
will do a further examination of your presenting situation.
I would also like to add, although you may be scared and
shamed by your thoughts, feelings and experience, please don’t be. The above
questions are typical to the disorder and are neither exhaustive nor complete.
Real mental health experts understand OCD and will not judge you by your
intrusions. They understand the thoughts, images and ideas are symptoms of your
condition, not you. The most important thing is to recognise the condition as a
disorder which is both treatable and manageable. The sooner you reach out for
help the sooner you will be on the road to recovery.
