Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences
Tackling Anxiety Disorder
Dr. Samir Parikh Nov 07, 2023
Almost everyone is familiar with minor obsessions and compulsions. You may find yourself filled with thoughts about an upcoming performance or examination, or keep wondering whether you forgot to turn off the stove or lock the door. You may feel better when you avoid stepping on cracks, turn away from black cats or arrange your closet in a particular manner. Sometimes little rituals can also be comforting during times of stress, such as humming a tune or counting rosary beads may reduce mental tension.
But imagine that your mind gets stuck on a certain thought or image, and this thought or image keeps replaying over and over again, no matter what you do. You don’t want to think about it but its intrusion worries you. It makes you feel anxious, urging you to respond or react by doing something to protect yourself. And while you may recognise that the fear doesn’t make sense, yet it feels real and intense.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), characterised by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions, is prevalent in more than one per cent of the population worldwide, and can have an onset at any time starting from preschool to adulthood.
Symptoms
Obsessions
Thoughts, images or urges that occur again and again, and feel out of the person’s control. The person does not want to have these ideas and finds them disturbing, usually realizing that don’t make sense. They make the person feel uncomfortable, bringing a fear, disgust, doubt or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is ‘just right’.
Compulsions
- Repetitive behaviour or thoughts that a person engages in to neutralize, counteract or make their obsessions go away.
- They rely on the compulsion as a temporary escape.
- They try to avoid situations that trigger their obsessions.
- These obsessions and/or compulsions take a lot of time (more than 1 hour per day) and get in the way of important activities the person values (socialising, working, going to school, etc).
- Contamination and dirtiness
- Harm (to self or others)
- Perfectionism
- Losing control
- Unwanted sexual thoughts
- Religious obsessions
- Concerns about physical health
- Superstitious ideas
- Washing and cleaning
- Checking
- Repeating actions
- Mental compulsions (counting, praying, etc)
- Hoarding or collecting
- Ordering, arranging or setting things
- Telling or asking for reassurance
- The individual begins to avoid activities or situations previously regular with.
- The individual spends much more time than usual on his routine or daily activities.
- The individual is excessively involved in his own activities or thoughts, to the exclusion of others.
- The individual finds it difficult to concentrate on work or other activities.
Categories
Clear allMeet the doctor
Dr. Samir Parikh
CONSULTANT MENTAL HEALTH & BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES | Fortis Shalimar Bagh
- Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences | Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences | Psychiatry | Clinical Psychology
- 21 Years
- 900