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Introduction to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Most of us have occasional intrusive thoughts that make us feel anxious, fearful, and uncomfortable. These intrusive thoughts may involve thinking about such things as contracting a serious illness, causing harm to ourselves or someone else, or forbidden sexual desires. Fortunately, most people recognize the fact that these occasional intrusive thoughts are irrational and can usually put them out of their minds so that they do not cause significant anxiety or distress and do not interfere with their daily lives. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) also realize that intrusive thoughts are irrational, however, they cannot control these intrusive thoughts or impulses from repeatedly entering their mind. The inability to prevent intrusive thoughts from repeatedly entering one's mind, known as obsessions, can cause signficant anxiety, distress, and a disruption in activities of daily living.
As "creatures of habit", most of us also exhibit some types of habitual behavior during the course of a normal day. For example, we wash our hands when they become dirty; brush our teeth in the morning, after meals, and at bedtime; and check to make sure the front door is locked when we leave the house. Most of us usually perform these habitual acts (handwashing; toothbrushing; checking) only when the need arises. Once we have finished cleaning our hands, brushing our teeth, or making sure the front door is locked, we can put these acts out of our minds and move on with our activities of daily living. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), however, become "fixated" on a particular ritualistic behavior (e.g., handwashing; toothbrushing, checking) or a mental act (e.g., counting; repeating a specific word or phrase) and feel driven to repeat these ritualistic behaviors or mental acts over and over again to the point where it causes significant anxiety and distress and interferes with daily lives. These repetitive, irrational ritualistic behaviors or mental acts that a person with OCD feels compelled to carry out are known as obsessions.
