Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
The facts of the mind, the games it can play, and the aces it has up its sleeve can dwarf the most eerie pieces of fiction. When tormented by irrational ideas, we can be driven into doing the unthinkable. Ideas, impulses, and images of senseless and intrusive nature can possess us. Howsoever disturbing, unrealistic or repugnant, it is sometimes impossible to escape them. Such repetitive, unwanted thoughts called obsession, in conjunction with inappropriate or bizarre repetitive acts, termed compulsion, give birth to the obsessive-compulsive disorder.A common disorder, it can put you through hell and fire guzzling a lot of time, causing much anxiety and distress, and interfering with your ability to function in various social settings. Preyed upon by this illness, you may well realize the irrationality of your thoughts and acts, and yet be unable to suppress them.
There are moments in our lives when many of us have bizarre, inappropriate thoughts and we may even engage in strange, senseless actions. For example, about to leave for work you turn on the ignition of the car, and suddenly feel compelled to check if you had left the door open, stove burning, or the faucet flowing. Watching a game on the television you find that your team is doing well, and so you remain glued to your seat fearing that any movement on your part could undo your team! You are desperate to see a job through and decide that if you were to reach the spot in ‘x’ number of steps, you would accomplish it, and so you will yourself to take the ‘x’ steps! These are all examples of obsessive-compulsive behaviour, but they should not be regarded as a disorder unless they are persistent and repetitive and oppress life.
Read out more on stress management and alzheimer’s care
Tagged under:compulsion conjunction give birth obsession obsessive compulsive disorder repugnant unwanted thoughts