Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have obsessions and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Obsessions are thoughts, feelings, ideas, or sensations that are difficult to get rid of. People maintain these compulsions to free themselves from their obsessions, but this only solves the problem in the short term.
In general, people who suffer from OCD have a high level of concern about perfectionism, order, and mental and interpersonal control.

Why does OCD appear?
OCD often begins in early adulthood and in a variety of settings.
There is no single factor that determines the onset of this disorder, however, we can say that it is a combination of genetic, social, and environmental factors.

Examples of these factors may include alterations in substances such as serotonin, events such as illness or death, or an overly rigid upbringing.

Types of OCD
Within OCD we can differentiate several types according to the person's obsessions and compulsions.

- Washers and cleaners
- Verifiers: They repeatedly inspect everything.
- Computers: their obsessions revolve around the order of things.
- Morals: obsessions that go against moral values.
- Sexual: thoughts about performing acts that are socially frowned upon.
- Aggressive: obsessions with the possibility of harming people or oneself.

Do you identify with these symptoms?
Repeated thoughts or images about many different things, such as dirt, violence, fear of germs.
Repetitive rituals, such as washing hands, opening and closing doors, counting, or repeating the same steps over and over.
Unwanted thoughts and behaviors that they cannot control.
Relief from rituals and interference with daily life