There's also a difference between having occasional intrusive, obsessive thoughts and having OCD. Again, the difference boils down to three major things, Dr. Moser says: how often you're having these thoughts, how intense they are, and how much they interfere with your life.
Intrusive thoughts don't typically result in any kind of behavior done to reduce the anxiety they cause or prevent some bad event associated with them from occurring. People with OCD, however, are likely to respond to obsessions by performing compulsions.
But many people who experience these thoughts don't have a mental health disorder, says Dr. Kerry-Ann Williams, a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts.
While anxiety disorders are typically characterized by excessive worry, OCD is marked by unwanted thoughts that lead to compulsive mental or physical reactions. A person with an anxiety disorder will experience excessive worry, but not engage in compulsive behavior to reduce their anxiety.
These thoughts are usually unwanted, unpleasant or even painful. Intrusive thoughts are often repetitive in nature and usually come in the form of mental images or statements said to yourself. These thoughts are normal and most of the time, they come and go without causing us much distress.
The nature of intrusive thoughts can make them feel real
It's when these thoughts are coupled with a feeling of anxiety, that we feel compelled to take notice.
OCD and unwanted urges or impulses:Sometimes intrusive thoughts aren't verbal or visual but more physical. You may feel an urge to do something or act out in some way that is inconsistent with who you are as a person and the values you hold. Example: You're standing on your roof deck and suddenly have the urge to jump.
ASD and OCD can sometimes have similar symptoms. However, they are different conditions. Research from 2015 found that 17% of people with ASD also have OCD. This is higher than the percentage of people with OCD in the general population.
But people with OCD typically have a very different experience. They're usually very bothered by their obsessive thoughts and would prefer not to have them but find them very difficult to silence. Whether an obsession is paired with a compulsion is also a key difference between obsessiveness and OCD.
People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons.
Hence, there is no real need for guilt. You don't need to question your integrity and morality when these thoughts come. Instead, treat the thought like a cloud – it will come and go. Even if it comes to your mind more than other thoughts, it still doesn't mean that intrusive thought is 'you'.
Many people look to the internet to find reassurance for different things, however, what separates the average person using Google as a resource and someone with OCD is the amount of time they spend searching for answers and reassurance.
Many people suffer in silence for years with OCD before being diagnosed and receiving proper treatment. In fact, the average amount of time between the onset of first OCD symptoms and diagnosis is 15 years!
You may have obsessive thoughts of a violent or sexual nature that you find repulsive or frightening. But they're just thoughts and having them does not mean you'll act on them. These thoughts are classed as OCD if they cause you distress or have an impact on the quality of your life.
There are a variety of conditions that have obsessive compulsive disorder qualities that are quite similar to OCD such as PANDAS, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), hoarding disorder, trichotillomania, compulsive skin picking, hypochondria, and olfactory reference syndrome.
It usually begins in late childhood or early adolescence. People with OCD experience recurrent and persistent thoughts, images or impulses that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions). They also perform repetitive and ritualistic actions that are excessive, time-consuming and distressing (compulsions).
Mild OCD can look like regular OCD but to a lesser intensity, such as: Washing your hands after certain food prep. Counting the number of times you may step/walk in the home. Some hoarding behaviors such as keeping specific types of items.
ADHD and OCD are two mental health conditions that may appear to share some symptoms. However, ADHD is externalizing in nature, affecting how individuals relate to their environment. By contrast, OCD is internalizing in nature, meaning individuals respond to anxiety by turning inward.
Symptoms fluctuate in severity from time to time, and this fluctuation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events. Because symptoms usually worsen with age, people may have difficulty remembering when OCD began, but can sometimes recall when they first noticed that the symptoms were disrupting their lives.
Unfortunately, OCD doesn't just go away. There is no “cure” for the condition.
Obsessions in OCD
Common examples include: Fear of coming into contact with perceived contaminated substances, such as germs or dirt. Fear of causing harm to yourself or someone else because you're not careful enough or you're going to act on a violent impulse. Unwanted thoughts or mental images related to sex.
Indeed, there are cases where the person with OCD's worst fears come true. That's life. It is filled with uncertainty, and there is no way to change that fact. Good things happen and bad things happen and we can never be sure, from one day to the next, what awaits us.
For someone with OCD, what they worry about (whatever intrusive thoughts they have) seems very likely to happen and their sense of responsibility means that they feel they must act in order to prevent it. In other words, the two beliefs create an ever increasing cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
The good news is many intrusive thoughts can be considered normal and pass through a person's mind without leaving an imprint. However, Dr. Edwards says some intrusive thoughts may begin to stick in people's minds and bother them. They may ruminate on the idea and start to feel anxious.