10 signs and symptoms of people with OCD

If you are one of those people who wash their hands every ten minutes, or you have an obsession because your closet is ordered following a perfect chromatic scale, surely on some occasion you have been told that you suffer Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Recommended reading: "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: What is it and how does it manifest?"

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: How do you know if you suffer from it?

In many cases, little "manias" for cleaning or other rituals may not constitute any kind of psychological problem. In fact, there are people who may prefer to wash their hands very often, but who do not have an obsessive need to perform this act of cleaning. We would be talking about a case of preference.

However, other people cannot avoid doing these types of compulsions in their day-to-day lives. These people suffer from a disorder called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), an affection that, in addition to those already commented compulsive rituals, it also refers to the obsessive thoughts with which they must deal in a everyday.

OCD affects 1% of adults in the United States.

Signs, symptoms, and signs of people with OCD

How can we know if someone has signs and symptoms of needing professional help? OCD is a complex disorder and there are multiple diagnostic tests that help mental health professionals know if a person has this disorder.

In addition, OCD can manifest sub-clinical, that is, there are individuals who are affected by some of its characteristic signs, but not in others. They are cases of OCD that do not meet the minimum diagnostic criteria, but that undoubtedly pose a relative problem for the well-being of the person.

10 signs and symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

There are certain behavioral patterns and symptoms that can warn us that we are dealing with a person who suffers from some degree of OCD. These are the ten most common.

1. Compulsive hand washing

Compulsive hand washing or using hand sanitizers is often a sign of OCD.. This category of people who wash is very often considered a “subtype” of people affected with OCD.

This constant cleaning act is motivated by your fear of germs. But it can also be due to the phobia of contracting infectious diseases or infecting someone.

How to seek help if you suffer (or know someone who suffers) from this symptom? If you often think about the danger posed by germs and wash your hands, you are afraid that you have not washed them well or have a phobia permanent and irrational to contract some disease (such as AIDS or an infection), you may have one of the main signs of hand washing compulsive. It is also a negative sign that you feel the need to have routines for this type of cleaning, such as having to go every two hours to wash.

2. Thorough and excessive cleaning

Another category of people with OCD is "cleaners." As can be easily deduced, cleaners are those individuals who compulsively clean. They can sweep, scrub and disinfect their houses to avoid germs or the feeling of impurity. Although the act of cleaning temporarily calms their obsessive thoughts, they soon feel the urge to clean even more thoroughly than last time.

You should consider seeking professional help if you spend several hours a day cleaning. In spite of everything, and although cleaning obsessively is a sign that we may suffer from some psychological imbalance, it is not necessarily a sign linked to OCD. Obsessive cleaning may be related to anxiety pictures.

Related Post: "Obsession for cleanliness: causes, characteristics and tips"

3. Review behavior

The review behaviors consist in that the person has the need to return 3,4 or 20 times to check if the oven is on or not, if the door has been left open or closed. It is one of the compulsions most frequently linked to OCD, and affects almost 35% of people who suffer from it.

As with other compulsive behaviors, revisions can lead to a series of obsessions, such as irrational fear of harm or feelings of irresponsibility.

Is it necessary to seek help if someone has this sign? Well, it depends. It is normal that sometimes we check some things, such as if we have left the gas on or if we have closed the car properly. But if the review negatively interferes with daily life, and for example makes us late for sites, it can be a clear sign of OCD.

4. Tell

Some people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder perform tasks according to certain number patterns, or count mentally as they go about their daily chores, for example when washing dishes or climbing stairs. These behaviors can be manifestations of superstitions or irrational beliefs, for example, believing that the number 7 is the lucky number, and that can lead them to take seven steps when they cross a step of pedestrians. This can be dangerous.

Is this sign worrisome? Depends on the context. Does it make sense to do it? Counting is probably convenient in some situations. But people with OCD tell obsessively and in contexts where it does not bring them anything positive, but rather the opposite: they can put themselves in danger or see how their thoughts are hijacked by this pathological habit: they cannot get the numbers and the habit of tell.

5. Organization

People with OCD can be extremely organized, and tend towards perfectionism. Everything must be arranged symmetrically, or following a perfect chromatic order, etc. It is a sign that alludes to your need to order everything in an unhealthy way.

We should seek help if we see that our need to order things goes beyond what is rational. It is natural and perfectly logical that we want to have our desk well organized and with the tools at hand, but if we feel the need for all pencils and pens to be sorted according to some perfectionist criteria (for example, the year we purchased each of them) and we feel anxiety if they are not as we think they should be ordered, we may need to talk with a psychologist.

6. Dread of violence

We all take care not to expose ourselves to dangers that could mean that our physical integrity is diminished. We all flee (to a greater or lesser extent) from violent situations and dangers. Also, from time to time, we think about the possibility that we could have an accident. The more we try to get rid of this kind of negative thoughts, the more come upon us, as shown by various scientific investigations. But this is especially true for people with OCD, who they may try to eliminate these thoughts, without success, or they may be very upset by the recurrence of such fatalistic ideas.

When to seek help? Negative thoughts don't just affect people with OCD. We all have them quite frequently. But the sign that we suffer from OCD is shown when we carry out behaviors (or stop carrying them out) to avoid the possible dangers, such as not getting into a car or constantly warning someone of the danger of using the kitchen Of gas.

7. Disturbing sexual thoughts

As with violent thoughts, people with OCD may experience recurring thoughts around sexual issues. These thoughts cause them discomfort, because they are usually disturbing and completely unwanted. For example, they can imagine having homosexual relationships while being heterosexual (or vice versa).

These obsessive thoughts can be very upsetting and can lead someone with OCD to withdraw from certain people with whom they believe they are "putting their sexuality at risk." This may be a sign that we should seek professional support.

8. Obsession with your romantic partners

People with OCD too are characterized by having obsessive thoughts towards their romantic partners. And, sometimes, they can also manifest this symptom towards their friends, co-workers and other acquaintances. For example, they are obsessed to the point of breaking a romantic relationship by not being able to overcome a false rumor about the fidelity of their partner.

This psychological problem can be reflected in discomfort in coping with uncertainty, and it can blow up many of your personal relationships.

The romantic breakups They generate a situation of stress and sadness for us, and it is normal that we even feel a little obsessed with him or her. But the sign of OCD occurs when these thoughts encyst in our mind and generate an excessive feeling of guilt, failure or fear.

9. Safety search

The way some people with OCD try to mitigate their anxiety is by ask the opinion of those close to you if your behavior is visible or annoying to others. They may feel very worried and uncomfortable during a party, and resort to certain compulsions or rituals to feel safe about themselves.

What are the behaviors that are cause for alert? People who use a friend to calm their anxiety with constant questions may have OCD.

10. Hating their looks

The Body Dysmorphic Disorder it is usually an OCD-related condition. People with BDD they obsessively fixate on some feature of their body that they consider asymmetrical, disproportionate or simply unsightly (It can be the nose, skin, eyes, ears... or any other part of the body). These obsessive thoughts are quite similar to those experienced by people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In fact, they are disorders that are often interconnected and suffered simultaneously.

This does not mean that anyone who dislikes any part of their physique suffers from BDD, of course. But individuals with BDD can develop OCD features. If the influence that this supposed physical defect has on your daily routine and on your psychological balance is notable, it will be necessary to seek psychological help.