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Characteristics of OCD - Coggle Diagram
Characteristics of OCD
OCD is an anxiety disorder where sufferers experience persistent and intrusive thoughts occurring as obsessions , compulsions or a combination of both
Obsessions are things people think about and compulsions are what people do as a result of obsessions
Obsessions are inappropriate ideas and visual images that aren't based in reality, such as being convinced that germs lurk everywhere , and which leads to feelings of extreme anxiety , while compulsions are intense , uncontrollable urges to repetitively perform tasks and behaviours , like repetitively washing your hands to get rid of germs
Compulsions are an attempt to reduce distress or prevent feared events , even though theres little chance of them doing so
Most sufferers realise their obsessive ideas and compulsions are excessive and inappropriate , but cannot consciously control them , resulting in higher levels of anxiety
Sufferers can also realise their compulsions are only a temporary solution but have no other way of coping , so rely on them as a short term solution
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The symptoms of OCD can overlap with other conditions , such as tourettes syndrome and autism , which has led some to question whether OCD really exists as a separate disorder
A sufferers obsessions and compulsions become very time consuming , therefore interfering with the ability to conduct everyday activities
OCD occurs within about 2% of the population , with no real gender differences , though there are gender differences in the type of OCD suffered
Preoccupations with contamination and cleaning are more common to females , while males focus more on religious and sexual obsessions
OCD is more common among male children than females , as males tend to have an earlier , gradual onset with more severe symptoms . Females generally have a later , sudden onset with fewer sever symptoms
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Compulsions - emotional
Distress recognition that compulsive behaiours cannot be consciously controlled can lead to strong feelings of distress
Compulsions - cognitive
Uncontrollable urges - sufferers experience uncontrollable urges to perform acts they feel will reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts , such as cleaning door handles to remove the threat of contamination
Realisation of inappropriateness - sufferers understand their compulsions are inappropriate but cannot consciously control them
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