How to Identify Symptoms of OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that afflicts many people. While some television shows and movies make light of the symptoms of OCD, people who struggle with the symptoms of OCD find their issues to be anything but funny. It is easy to identify symptoms of OCD because the things that people with OCD do are so different from the way that most people interact with the world. While many people have quirks, OCD symptoms are much more severe than mere quirks. OCD symptoms can be difficult to manage and, in extreme cases, can even take over a person’s life. Here is how to identify symptoms of OCD.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Observation of a person’s behaviors
• Understanding of OCD symptoms

1. Understand what OCD is. OCD is an anxiety disorder. Anxiety builds in the person and is only relieved by performing certain rituals, such as washing her hands exactly three times. If the person is prevented from completing the ritual, she will experience very strong anxiety and, in extreme cases, can even have a psychotic episode. You can easily identify symptoms of OCD once you know what to look for.

2. Notice if certain things must consistently be done in a certain way. While many people have strong preferences about the “right way” or “wrong way” to do something, people with symptoms of OCD are much more rigid. For example, a person with OCD symptoms might require that a bathroom be cleaned in a certain order, such as the toilet first, the sink second, and then the tub. If somebody cleans the bathroom in a different order, a person with OCD symptoms will clean the bathroom again in the “right” order, even though the room is already clean.

3. Pay attention to repetition. Many people with symptoms of OCD must do certain tasks for a certain number of times, such as checking that the deadbolt is locked exactly three times. The person cannot rest until he has checked the deadbolt exactly three times.

4. Observe the reaction to not completing the ritual. You can easily identify a person with symptoms of OCD if the person becomes extremely agitated by not being able to complete a ritual, such as washing his hands three times or cleaning the bathroom in a certain order.

5. Detect if the person hoards particular objects. Some people’s symptoms of OCD manifest themselves by hoarding certain items, such as a woman carrying around 30 pens in her purse or a man saving every receipt that he has ever received in the past 20 years. If you try to reduce the number of objects (such as suggesting that all receipts that are over 10 years old be thrown away), then the person will be extremely agitated.

6. Recognize the underlying anxiety. OCD is fueled by anxiety, so a person with symptoms of OCD is very likely to be an anxious person who experiences temporary relief by completing the rituals that work for him. It is easier to identify symptoms of OCD when you first identify the underlying anxiety that is driving the behavior.

Tips & Warnings

• A good therapist can identify the symptoms of OCD and help a person heal from the underlying anxiety that is driving the OCD symptoms.
• Do not try to interfere with the rituals of an OCD person. The rituals are coping mechanisms that help the person manage her underlying anxiety. If you remove the rituals, the person will become extremely anxious and, in some cases, might even have a psychotic episode.

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