#misunderstood monday

You're so OCD.

The term OCD (short for obsessive compulsive disorder) gets thrown around a lot in everyday talk. Usually, it is used incorrectly.

Someone who is neat, orderly, organized, or particular about the order of his or her CDs on a shelf most likely does not have OCD. The Mayo Clinic describes obsessive compulsive disorder as being "characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). It's also possible to have only obsessions or only compulsions and still have OCD." For a more complete and detailed (and confusing and technical) definition, you can check out the DSM-V, which is the current and fifth edition of the ubiquitous Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. But for our purposes, the Mayo Clinic's explanation will suffice--so let's dig into it a little bit further.

"Unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) -- If we think of OCD as consisting of two main parts--the obsessions and the compulsions--then it makes sense to think of the obsessions as the cause and the compulsions as the effect. The obsessions of OCD are not like the obsessions of a stalker or of our obsession-obsessed culture (e.g. "I'm so obsessed with J-Law's new haircut!"). Obsessions take the form of unwanted thoughts or images in the person's mind. Common obsessions in OCD include contamination (often by germs, dirt, bodily fluids); unwanted sexual thoughts (often of a forbidden or perverse nature); losing control and harming oneself or others; fear of being responsible for something terrible; irrational fear for one's loved ones; superstitious ideas about lucky/unlucky numbers, colors, etc.; and many, many more.

"[R]epetitive behaviors (compulsions)-- Think of these as the effects of the obsessions. In order to prevent the obsessive thoughts/fears from coming true or in order to reduce one's anxiety about these thoughts/fears, a person with OCD will perform compulsive rituals, acts, and/or thoughts. Common compulsions include excessive cleaning of oneself's hands, body, or house; various forms of "checking" (e.g. checking that the stove is off, checking that the door is closed, checking that you didn't cause any car accidents by listening to traffic radio); repetitive bodily movements; arranging things in a particular order or manner; mentally canceling out "bad" thoughts with "good" ones; mentally reviewing events to prevent harm; and many, many more. The important thing to note about these compulsions is that while they may temporarily alleviate stress, in the long run, they cause more stress and disrupt a person's life, and if they are not completed "properly," they can cause severe anxiety. The person feels driven to do these things, as if it is beyond his/her control.

The DSM-V gives OCD its own chapter along with related obsessive disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder and hoarding disorder. OCD used to be included with anxiety disorders. OCD has a high co-morbidity with anxiety disorders (meaning that they often occur together, in the same people), and it is commonly treated with anxiolytic and anti-depressant medications. Psychotherapy, especially exposure and response prevention (ERP), is also commonly used as a treatment for OCD.

For more information on OCD, I recommend the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Mental Health.