From the outside, the repetitive or ritualistic behaviors that people with OCD have can look like addictions. Both compulsion and addiction create powerful urges that are difficult to resist. If someone cannot engage in them, they may become distressed. However, compulsions and addiction are not the same.
Compulsive behavior exists in both OCD and addiction, but it looks different in each condition. OCD and addiction are distinct disorders. Having OCD increases a person's risk of an addiction or substance use disorder. Certain substances and medications can also cause or worsen OCD symptoms.
The rate of addiction is high among people with OCD but is lower than that associated with other forms of mental illness, such as schizophrenia. Most people report that their OCD symptoms appeared long before they developed a substance use disorder.
The Relationship Between Thoughts and Urges
Jon Hershfield's text, Harm OCD, indicates, “people with harm OCD often describe their intrusive thoughts as 'urges' because it's difficult to find another word for the marriage of an intrusive thought and a sensation in the body that seems to indicated an imminent action.
When it comes to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a common mental health disorder in which a person has reoccurring thoughts and behaviors they continually repeat, avoidance is often used as a coping mechanism. People with OCD may try to avoid unwanted thoughts or situations that may trigger their obsessions.
Research into the connection between OCD and trauma has found that OCD can arise not only from the events that are broadly considered to be traumatic, but also from such events that are experienced as traumatic, within the context of the individual's own perspective.
The onset of OCD is not limited to the original meaning of trauma; rather, traumatic experiences such as unexpected exposure to contaminants or various stressful life events often cause the onset of OCD.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has two main parts: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges, worries or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind. They can make you feel very anxious (although some people describe it as 'mental discomfort' rather than anxiety).
That's not the way OCD works. In fact, ignoring symptoms, telling yourself that you're not really that bad and you can manage the disorder by trying self-help for OCD will only exacerbate the situation. OCD generally tends to worsen over time without treatment.
Many clients will say that it feels like being trapped inside a cage that you can't escape from, playing a record on a loop that you cannot stop. Those with OCD get caught up in the need for certainty. They want to be 100% sure that nothing bad will happen if they don't respond to their thoughts.
OCD can manifest in many ways, including in a sexual manner. Some people may be unable to control their sexual urges, behavior, or impulses to the point of causing distress in their life, known as hypersexuality.
The repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing/cleaning, checking on things, and mental acts like (counting) or other activities, can significantly interfere with a person's daily activities and social interactions. Many people without OCD have distressing thoughts or repetitive behaviors.
Having objects ordered “just so” is a fairly common type of obsession with OCD. People with these thoughts spend an inordinate amount of time arranging and ordering objects or visualizing symmetry. They may also have specific superstitions about numbers, patterns, and symmetry.
About 85% of people with OCD have said that they experience moderate to severe impairment, with over half saying that their impairment is severe. Only 15% of people with OCD only experience mild symptoms. People with OCD spend at least an hour a day on their obsessions and compulsions.
The Three C's of Dealing with an addict are: I didn't cause it. I can't cure it. I can't control it.
Alcohol Can Worsen OCD Symptoms
Drinking poses unique risks for people with OCD and can worsen symptoms. Compulsive behaviors are fueled by strong impulses and urges. Acting on these brings temporary feelings of pleasure and relief, but is not helpful in the long-term.
Like a schoolyard bully, OCD demands attention. If you try to ignore it, it will get louder and more irritating. It is known for being manipulative and cunning. It tries to tell you how to live your life.
The OCD lie tries to tell us that the anxiety or discomfort of the thoughts are too much, will take us over/make us “go crazy”, and we cannot endure it so we must do a ritual (repetitive coping behavior) to make it go away.
Obsessive thoughts
Some common obsessions that affect people with OCD include: fear of deliberately harming yourself or others – for example, fear you may attack someone else, such as your children. fear of harming yourself or others by mistake – for example, fear you may set the house on fire by leaving the cooker on.
People with OCD are usually aware that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational and excessive, yet feel unable to control or resist them. OCD can take up many hours of a person's day and may severely affect work, study, and family and social relationships.
The main symptoms of OCD are obsessions and compulsions that interfere with normal activities. For example, symptoms may often prevent you from getting to work on time. Or you may have trouble getting ready for bed in a reasonable amount of time.
Experts aren't sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood.
We don't know for sure what causes OCD, but your family history, psychology, environment, and the way your body works could all play a role. Personality traits like perfectionism may put a person at risk of developing OCD. Stressful life events and psychological trauma may also play a role.
The popular perception of OCD is someone who's organized and tidy or a little bit of a germaphobe, but otherwise it's a harmless quirk. At its most severe, however, OCD can impact someone's ability to work, go to school, run errands, or even care for themselves.