OCD-info.org: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OBSESSIONS

a haunting preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.

COMPULSIONS
an irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

a psychoneurotic disorder in which the patient is beset with obsessions or compulsions or both and suffers extreme anxiety or depression through failure to think the obsessive thoughts or perform the compelling acts
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You may be obsessed with germs or dirt, so you wash your hands over and over. You may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly. You may have frequent thoughts of violence, and fear that you will harm people close to you. You may spend long periods touching things or counting; you may be pre-occupied by order or symmetry; you may have persistent thoughts of performing sexual acts that are repugnant to you; or you may be troubled by thoughts that are against your religious beliefs...
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What is OCD exactly?
Unfortunately, that answer comes in many different forms. Like many other illnesses, diseases, and disorders, OCD is made of a spectrum of characteristics. Each characteristic is unique to the sufferer themselves. Basically, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is made of either obsessions, compulsions, or both. There are an array of obsessions and compulsions, all varying in the severity.

I want to make OCD-info.org a reliable/knowledge source of information about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I intend to do that by taking information on the same topic from different reputable sources. In my quest of understating OCD, I could not read enough information about my disorder. I find that knowledge does really give you power, and I intend on bringing a lot of information right here, to a single source to help bring you power over your disorder. The following are different definitions of what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is:

			Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Anxiety disorder characterized by the persistent intrusion of unwanted and intrusive thoughts or distressing images; these are usually accompanied by compulsive behaviors designed to neutralize the obsessive thought or images or prevent some dreaded event or situation. 1- Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2004). Abnormal Psychology 12 (K. M. May, Ed., 12th ed., Vol. 12). Boston: Pearson Education.

			Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: An anxiety disorder in which the person experiences recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are perceive rd by the person as excessive or unreasonable, but cause significant distress and disruption in the person’s daily life. 2- Griggs, R. A. (2006). Psychology: A concise introduction (M. Kimball, Ed.). New York, New York: Catherine Woods. (Original work published 2006)

			Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A neurosis marked by extreme and destructive obsessions, and/or repetitive compulsions; e.g. a patient my be so preoccupied with cleanliness tat he spends many hours each day washing, or be so absorbed by orderliness that he takes hours going to bed because he has to check the position of his clothes over and over again. Obsessions: A thought or idea, usually of an upsetting nature, that preoccupies a person for long periods or time, and that he cannot get ride of. Compulsion: An irresponsible urge to do something against one’s better judgment (such as drinking, gambling, rape or more idiosyncrasies actions). 3- Sutherland, S. (Ed.). (1996). The International Dictionary of Psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Crossroad. (Original work published 1989)

			Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder: A syndrome in which obsessions and compulsions occur with significant frequency, duration (at least 1 hour per day), or intensity such that social, occupational, or family functioning is impaired or significant psychological distress is experienced. Obsessions: A thought, image, or urge that is intrusive, unwanted, persistent, and uncontrollable; an obsession generally is perceived as irrational, excessive, and distressful. Compulsion: A ritualistic, stereotypic, or repetitive action generally performed to reduce anxiety associated with an obsession; a compulsion (or ritual) is generally perceived as excessive and irrational, although individuals find the behaviors very difficult to resist. 5- Ramachandran, V. S. (Ed.). (1994). Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (Vol. 3). San Diego: Academic Press.

			Obsessions: are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress. Compulsions: are repetitive behaviors OR mental acts [in which] the goal is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress, not to provide please or gratification. 6- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). (2000). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

			While most individuals perceive a given situation as safe until proven harmful, the obsessive-compulsive patient perceives situations as harmful until proven save. 7-Piotrowski, N. A., Ph.D., & Irons-Georges, T. (Eds.). (2003). Magill's Encyclopedia of Social Science (Vol. 3). Pasadena: Salem Press. (Original work published 1993)