Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition made up of obsessions and compulsions. These obsessions are characterized by intrusive (unwanted and often recurrent) thoughts. Such thoughts force the patient to do something to get rid of or deal with himself by indulging in (repeating) behaviors or compulsions. Without further ado, here are the different types of OCD categorized based on the topic of intrusive thoughts or obsessions.
7 common types of obsessive-compulsive disorder
organisation: People with OCD may want to arrange things and their surroundings perfectly. They may seek symmetry and order of things or have superstitions about the same thing. Things have to be in just the right place, and a person with OCD may spend hours arranging them to be that way.
radioactive contamination: This compulsion is influenced by fear of contamination or exposure to germs. However, you cannot reduce these compulsions to a cranky person or someone who prefers cleanliness. Intensive and regular hand washing and keeping them clean is common, and therefore not necessarily a sign of OCD.
rumination: Rumination means to think about something intellectually, theoretically, or philosophically. Rumination related to obsessions and compulsions leads to more intellectual activity, which negatively affects various aspects of life. The person engaged in these thoughts may forget, ignore, or avoid real-life activities. This can negatively affect their personal life, work, health and relationships. For example, one may begin to ruminate on morals and decide whether or not they are wrong.
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Audit: Examination is defined as always having doubts about doing something or leaving it incomplete and wanting things to be ‘just the right way’. Again, this tendency may seem like a workaholic or a good habit of completing a hard work. But in reality, it is a compulsion that wastes time and energy, making people with OCD suspicious of new projects and never able to “finish” old tasks in their minds.
self control: Thoughts of aggression, sexual urges, and violence make up one type of OCD. The primary fear of these thoughts is losing self-control and engaging in these harmful actions. In this case, the associated compulsion seeks to check one’s goodness from others. But this condition can contain other motives such as making sure one can’t hurt others or being isolated as well.
Harm to loved ones: Other than losing control and hurting those around them, people with OCD may also fear harm to their loved ones. They may deal with this obsession with doing everything to prevent such damage, sometimes resorting to extreme measures.
Read more: How does mental health affect family relationships?
Random thoughts: Finally, it is not always necessary for the intrusive thoughts that people with OCD experience to revolve around a particular topic. Their thoughts could be a combination of the aforementioned obsessions or they could be something else entirely. Having harmful thoughts does not indicate that people with OCD want to cause harm. Instead, they are helpless in the face of these uncontrollable recurring thoughts.
conclusion
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted, and repetitive thoughts that trigger behaviors as coping mechanisms. The different types of OCD can be classified based on the subject matter of these thoughts and behaviors. These include the fear of losing self-control, being exposed to germs, hurting loved ones, leaving something unfinished, not understanding something abstract or intellectual, and much more. While these concerns seem overwhelming, you may be hesitant to seek treatment, too. In this case, you can refer to the list Best affordable online treatment platforms to get quality care from the comfort of your own home.
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