Next week, October 13 – 17, is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) week. In recognition of this, experts from Sunnybrook’s Thompson Centre spoke to Your Health Matters about some common myths and facts about OCD, and some helpful resources you can use if you need support.
What is OCD?
OCD is a serious mental health condition that can cause a person to have repetitive intrusive thoughts, images, or urges known as obsessions. These can be about many different things like contamination, causing violence or harm to oneself or others, religiosity (fears of offending god), and more.
Sometimes people will say things like “I’m so OCD” when cleaning or tidying up. This, in fact, is a stereotype that’s harmful to those living with OCD.
The term OCD is also often used as a personality trait or “quirk”. By using OCD as a personality trait or quirk, it takes away from the severity of the mental health condition that over 200 million people in the world live with.
What do people living with OCD experience?
OCD triggers an individual to have compulsions: a repetitive behaviour performed to relieve anxiety about an obsession.
For example, someone living with OCD might check and re-check things like locks and stoves, excessively wash their hands or engage in counting. A person may have other compulsions and is not limited to these few. People with OCD engage in compulsions to ease their anxiety about an obsession. However, this may take away hours from the persons daily life, causing emotional and mental fatigue.
These obsessions don’t just pass as they would for someone without OCD. They are recurrent and persistent, and cause the person experiencing them extreme anxiety which they try to ease through compulsions. It’s important to be mindful of a person’s lived experience and not judge or mock them because of this.
What causes OCD?
There is a lot of research about OCD – it’s complex because there isn’t just one cause. Researchers have discovered that OCD is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and other factors. It’s a myth to assume that OCD is caused only by a traumatic childhood and bad parenting.
What can make OCD symptoms more significant?
Stress and trauma can intensify OCD symptoms, but there is also a large biological role. OCD is linked in an imbalance in the brain chemical serotonin which regulates mood and behaviour. Researchers have also found OCD is linked with increased activity in different areas of the brain. OCD tends to run in families, it’s been found that if a close relative has OCD there is a higher likelihood of developing the mental health condition.
How common is OCD?
OCD is a very common mental health condition. There is a misconception that OCD doesn’t affect many people – it impacts millions globally. OCD can impact anyone regardless of age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
What resources are available for people living with OCD?
There are many resources and supports available for those living with OCD. A common form of therapeutic support a person can receive is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It’s always best to speak with a primary care provider to discuss treatment options, as each person’s needs are different. Online resources are also available – the International OCD Foundation helps provide education and a variety of resources for those in need.
This OCD Awareness Week, you can help break the stigma and misconceptions associated with OCD. Being mindful of how the term is used and encouraging others to use better words is important. Education on OCD and how it can impact people’s lives is a step in the right direction to promote awareness and positive change.
