OCD: Clinical Characteristics

Question 1

What are obsessions?

Answer 1

Obsessions include forbidden/inappropriate ideas and visual images that are not based on reality. For example: being convinced that germs lurk everywhere which leads to feelings of extreme anxiety.

Question 3

Is obsession cognitive or behavioral?

Answer 3

cognition (takes place in the mind)

Question 4

Is compulsion cognitive or behavioral?

Answer 4

behaviour (it is something you do, a behaviour)

Question 5

Examples of obsessions

Answer 5

Contamination
Fear of losing control
Perfectionism
Religion

Question 6

What are some examples of compulsions

Answer 6

Excessive handwashing
Excessive checking
Repetition of body movements
Hoarding

Question 7

What is Trichotillomania?

Answer 7

compulsive hair pulling

Question 8

What is Hoarding disorder?

Answer 8

the compulsive gathering of possessions and the inability to part with anything, regardless of its value

Question 9

What is Excoriation disorder?

Answer 9

compulsive skin picking

Question 10

Gender differences of OCD

Answer 10

Males focus more on religious and sexual obsessions. OCD is more common among male children with onset occurring much earlier and younger.

Whereas females are said to have more preoccupation with contamination and cleaning, this is more commonly found with females diagnosed with OCD. Females have a later, more sudden onset, with fewer severe symptoms.

Question 11

Links between OCD and Anxiety & Distress

Answer 11

OCD is regarded as a particularly unpleasant emotional experience because of the powerful anxiety that accompanies both obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessive thoughts can be frightening or forbidden, these can lead to an urge to repeat a behaviour (compulsion) which in turn creates anxiety.

Question 12

Links between OCD and Accompanying Depression

Answer 12

OCD and depression are often diagnosed together because anxiety can be accompanied by a low mood and lack of enjoyment of activities. Compulsive behaviour tends to bring some relief from the anxiety, but this is only temporary.

Question 13

Links between OCD and Guilt & Disgust

Answer 13

Irrational guilt can also be part of OCD where the sufferer may feel guilt over moral issues (fear of being immoral) or disgust which may be directed towards something external like dirt/germs or at the self.

Question 14

OCD Behavioural Factors, Avoidance

Answer 14

The behaviour of OCD sufferers may also be characterised by their avoidance as they attempt to reduce anxiety by keeping away from situations from trigger it (example not going anywhere where there are germs)

But this avoidance can lead people to avoid very ordinary situations, such as emptying rubbish bins etc which can interfere with leading a normal life.

Question 15

Major cognitive features of OCD

Answer 15

For around 90% of OCD sufferers the major cognitive feature of their condition is obsessive thoughts that recur over and over again and are usually unpleasant.

Question 16

Cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions

Answer 16

Some sufferers of OCD adopt cognitive strategies to deal with their obsessions. For example, suffers with religious obsessions may pray over and over, to reduce their feelings of being immoral.

Furthermore, sufferers of OCD know that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational (insight into their disorder), and experience selective attention directed towards the anxiety-generating stimuli (similar to the selective attention found in phobias).