This article has been prepared to give you information about obsession disorder. Methods that will help you will be explained in another article.
If you have thoughts that come to your mind over and over again even though you don't want to, or behaviors that you do over and over again even though you don't want to do them, you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder. In psychiatry and psychology, obsessive compulsive disorder is explained as follows; It is when a person constantly has recurring thoughts (obsession) and engages in repetitive behavior (compulsion) usually in order to relax due to the discomfort caused by these thoughts. You become stuck in a cycle of repetitive thoughts and behaviors. This cycle often begins in childhood or early adolescence. It progresses with exacerbations and increases, especially during difficult periods of one's life.
Although OCD was previously considered a rare disease, research conducted in recent years has shown that it is not rare at all. In studies conducted in large groups of people, the incidence varies between 1-3%, and it has been determined that OCD is seen in 1-3 out of every 100 people. This means that 1.5-2.5 million people in Turkey have this disease. Even though the symptoms of discomfort may seem very strange to you or your relatives, this is a common situation and does not mean that you are crazy or going crazy.
Obsession is a word of French origin. The meaning of the word is “siege”. Unwanted and recurring thoughts that come to your mind make you feel like you are under siege. These thoughts are dreams, wishes, or disturbing worries that occur frequently. They come to your mind spontaneously, unintentionally and in some cases, even though you try not to think of them. Sometimes they occur spontaneously in certain situations and environments. When they occur, they often cause unrest, anxiety and distress.
Compulsion is a word of English origin. It comes from the English word “compel” , meaning “to force, to force someone to do something against their will.” Compulsions often occur even though you find them excessive or irrational, but you are reluctant to do them. These are repetitive behaviors that you cannot get over and are forced to do against your will. Repetitive behavior and mental actions that are performed to reduce or eliminate the intense distress and restlessness caused by obsessions.It helps to eliminate or control the discomfort caused by obsessive thoughts (restlessness, anxiety, distress, etc.). It is a set of rules or rituals that will happen. But these efforts may not be realistically related to the situations you usually see as problems.
Am I Suffering from OCD?
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) ) includes both obsession and compulsion. However, it is also possible to see symptoms that are dominated only by mental processes. You can easily understand that you are suffering from OCD by looking at your extreme mental and behavioral characteristics. If we explain the main common types of OCD and their symptoms in the world and in our country:
1) Symmetry/order obsessions and compulsions
Did the font variety and character size differences in this article bother you?
If your answer is "yes", this is one of the common symptoms of the need for symmetry and obsession with order. The need for symmetry and orderliness dominates the person's entire life.
2) Contamination Obsession and Cleaning Compulsion
Factors such as dirt, germs and dust on the person's body and clothes; It is his/her obsessions about being contaminated with chemicals, detergents, poisons, urine, feces and other body secretions and his/her behaviors to relieve the distress caused by these obsessions. The thought that people will get different substances on their bodies and clothes constitutes contamination obsession, while cleaning and washing behaviors to relieve the resulting distress constitute compulsion.
3) Birdş ku obsession and control compulsion
It is one of the most common obsessions and compulsions. The person may not be aware that objects such as gas stoves, doors, locks may have been left open. indent, iron etc. He/she suspects that the plugs of electrical appliances may be stuck in the socket (Doubt obsession) and feels the need to check again and again to be sure (Checking compulsion). These doubts and controls can manifest themselves in many areas of life.
4) Obsessions that he will harm others or behave aggressively without his control
Sometimes patients may have obsessions such as unintentionally causing discomfort or harm to others, uttering unpleasant words, or uncontrollably harming the people around them.
5) Sexual obsessions.
From time to time, patients with OCD have sexual obsessions that do not suit them, their age, or their place in society.
6) Obsessions with religious content
It is a type of obsession that is especially common in segments of society that have intense religious beliefs. The person cannot stop himself from thinking religious obsessive thoughts that are completely contrary to his beliefs and views and that will cause intense distress.
7) Touch compulsions
From time to time, some OCD patients feel the need to touch an object that they care about before performing certain behaviors.
8) Counting. compulsions
Some OCD patients engage in counting behavior, thinking that if they do any daily activity without counting up to a certain number, they will not succeed.
9) Hoarding and hiding compulsions
It is a common type of compulsion. A person may even collect/keep items that are not needed, with the thought that "they may be needed in the future." lucky, unluckynumbers and colors
Many This person may have certain beliefs, behaviors, numbers and colors that he considers lucky or unlucky as part of his cultural characteristics. Such as not walking under stairs, not jumping over children, leaving the house with the right foot, not getting up from the left side of the bed.
IS EVERY OBSESSIVE THOUGHT OR BEHAVIOR OCD?
When you read the above part of the article, what comes to your mind is “being clean, tidy and tidy; "What is the harm in checking doors and windows for security purposes? Should these be considered diseases?" Thoughts like this may occur.
Of course, we do these behaviors in our daily lives and they should not be considered as a disease. However, in order for such thoughts and behaviors to be considered a disease from a psychological perspective, they must be severe and intense enough to affect, restrict and disrupt our daily functions. For example, if a housewife is clean and tidy, it is not naturally considered a disease, but if she cleans almost every day, at every hour of the day, does laundry every day and cannot spare enough time for her husband, children, family and friends due to these behaviors, it should be considered as a disease. It may not be considered strange for a person to make sure that their stove is turned off and the doors are locked, for security reasons. However, it is a situation that needs to be taken into consideration if he checks the windows and doors by checking the house again and again or by turning back on the road, making these checks a certain number of times, or thinking "If I don't leave the house with my right foot now, something bad will happen" without any connection.
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