Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a brain disorder that causes problems with information processing. It causes people to worry and/or perform compulsive or repetitive behaviours. People who suffer with OCD are compelled by persistent, unwanted and intrusive thoughts about feared situations they can't banish from their minds, no matter how hard they try. In order to temporarily stop these obsessional thoughts, they will often carry out rituals, including touching objects such as door handles or furniture, or even going back and checking the same things over and over again, or repeatedly hand washing as they feel concerned with them becoming contaminated.

Sufferers feel they have to perform these rituals in order to prevent something terrible happening and to temporarily relieve them from anxiety. This can be repeated until they are satisfied it's been done properly; often each ritual can take up many hours every day.

What is Pure 'O'? 'I always hear people talking about this disorder but what is it?'

The anxiety disorder Pure 'O' stands for Pure Obsessional, which means that the sufferer has disturbing and intrusive thoughts/images, but doesn't perform any outward compulsions (the compulsive part of OCD). Pure "O" sufferers have mental compulsions of OCD that take place only in the mind, instead of it being physical. 

Obsessions:

Obsessional thoughts are not visible to anyone. These thoughts or images are persistent, recurring, unwanted and distressing to a sufferer and produce a high level of anxiety. Common obsessions include fears of contamination, dirt, illnesses such as Aids or cancer, or family members being hurt or killed. These thoughts occur over and over again, countless times a day. A sufferer with this obsession spends most of their time thinking about things and feared situations. Sufferers also have an excessive need to do things correctly or perfectly and can find it difficult and frustrating to carry out their daily chores, do their work, complete daily tasks or even relate to other people.

Compulsions:

Compulsions are rituals that sufferers do or the way they behave, and that are triggered by obsessions. Compulsions are repetitive and the sufferer feels driven to perform them in order to relieve anxiety and temporarily stop obsessional thoughts.

A sufferer often attempts to carry out mental or physical rituals. The most common of these are washing and checking. Other compulsive behaviours including counting, repeating, collecting, arranging, organising and cleaning which are just some of the symptoms of OCD. Often these rituals are performed in order to avert a real or imagined danger or in an attempt to make the obsession go away. If they are interrupted, they will often need to start their rituals all over again until they are completely satisfied.

If distressing thoughts occur in your mind on a daily basis and interfere with your ability to enjoy life, it will be best to visit your doctor and discuss the issue. If you frequently experience thoughts that are intrusive, unpleasant producing a high degree of anxiety, and you find yourself engaging in avoidance or anxiety-reducing behaviours, it is advisable to seek help from a Mental Health Professional immediately.

For further information on Mental Health Professionals, please visit Local CMHT on this site.