During the pandemic period, did you constantly disinfect the house, pour bleach everywhere, and do cleaning routines for hours? When you can’t clean, it makes you extremely uncomfortable and you can’t be sure that it is completely clean? If your answer is “yes”, you should take a look at this article.

An ‘obsession’ is the repetitive and uncontrollable thoughts that create stress in our minds. Compulsions, on the other hand, are routine performed actions and behaviors resulting from these thoughts. In obsessive-compulsive disorder, the person resorts to certain behaviors in order to get rid of the anxiety caused by the thoughts that disturb him. Obsessions and compulsions can vary from person to person.

COMMON OBSESSIONS

Discomfort and intense fear of contamination with germs or bacteria

Disturbing symmetrical disorders, need for order or perfection

Fear of sinful thoughts

Fear that something bad will happen to you

Extremely suspicious thoughts

COMMON COMPULSIONS

Repeated hand washing, unsure of cleanliness

Spending hours cleaning

Spending hours laying out and arranging everything symmetrically

The need to constantly check door locks, stoves, etc.

Behaving in a certain order

Doing things a certain number of times (e.g. washing hands 2 times, drying them 4 times, etc.)

Collecting and hoarding unnecessary items

Walk without stepping on the lines

Repetition and specific prayers and phrases

Memorizing license plate numbers

WHAT CAUSES OCD?

Although the exact cause is not known, obsessive-compulsive disorder is thought to be related to variables such as genetics, childhood traumas, upbringing, and serotonin disorders.

HOW IS OCD TREATED?

In particular, drugs related to the serotonin regulation of the brain are hyper-functional in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition to drug therapy, the person should be supported by a specialist and benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy methods. People who have this disorder actually feel very limited and sad. In desperation, they try to reduce their anxiety with the behaviors they do to control their energy and time. After period of time they may become tired in the face of events they cannot control. As they try to escape from their thoughts and behaviors, obsessions feed and can become even more intractable. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be treated with early diagnosis and expert support.