Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, involves having obsessive thinking patterns that can include unwanted thoughts, images or urges that make a person feel anxious or distressed.
Individuals who have OCD often have significant difficulty pushing away or ignoring these thoughts. Those with OCD also have compulsive behaviors which are an attempt to reverse the obsessive thoughts or urges by performing some sort of action.
Common signs, according to the Mayo Clinic, of OCD are:
- Intrusive thoughts
- Constant checking
- Constant counting
- The repeated cleaning of one or more items
- Constantly checking the stove or door locks
- Fear of contamination
- Hoarding
- Thoughts that you might be harmed
- Thoughts that you might cause others harm
If you are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, I encourage you to look into OCD therapy and/or medication management and contact me today. Research shows that the most effective treatments for OCD are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and/or medication.