Signs and Symptoms

Hey guys,

Feeling anxious today? Well, you’re not alone; everyone has their own little obsessive quirks like needing their environment to be clean and organized or being a perfectionist. It’s normal! But sometimes the obsessions are beyond that point and we’re here to equip you with the signs and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder so you can live a happy healthy life :)

As evident in the name, there are two components to the disorder: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are irrational and uncontrollable recurring thoughts. These thoughts are unwanted, and if severe enough, can interfere with daily life. Common obsessions include washing (fear of germs or contamination) and checking (is everything in order, are electronics/appliances turned off etc.). Compulsions are repetitive behaviours the individual feels compelled to perform in order to ward off anxious feelings about the thoughts they are obsessing over.  People suffering from this disorder may believe that something horrible will happen if they don’t complete these acts.[1]

 Examples include:

-          washing hands many times in a row

-          checking many times that a particular task was done (turn off appliances)

-          Performing repetitive and protective tasks like counting to a certain number, turning on and off the light switch a certain number of times, or lining up shoes in a perfectly straight line.

A key component of this disorder is that it is ego-dystonic (not consistent with the individual’s normal personality). Even if you exhibit some of the symptoms mentioned above, this does not necessarily mean you have the disorder. If you think you fit these symptoms and are feeling in distress, please seek professional help. 

Until next time,

C

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[1] Davison, G. C., Blankstein, K. R., Flett, G. L., & Neale , J. M. (2010). Abnormal psychology. (4th ed., pp. p/ 189-191). New York : John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd.