Zusammenfassung der Ressource
5.5 OCD - Characteristics
- DSM-5 recognises OCD as
characterised either by obsessions
and/or compulsion.
- Behavioural
- Compulsions are repetitive
- People with OCD feel compelled to repeat a
behaviour, common ones include hand washing,
praying or ordering groups of objects.
- Compulsions reduce anxiety
- Around 10% of people with OCD show compulsive
behaviour alone, without obsessions but only a sense of
irrational anxiety. These compulsive behaviours are
performed in order to manage the anxiety.
- Avoidance
- Tend to try to manage their OCD by avoiding situations which
may trigger anxiety. This avoidance could lead to people
avoiding everyday ordinary activities.
- Emotional
- Anxiety and distress
- Regarded as an unpleasant emotional experience
because of the overpowering anxiety that
accompanies obsessions and compulsions. The
urge to repeat a behaviour creates anxiety.
- Accompanying depression
- Accompanied by depression, so anxiety can be joined by low mood and
lack of enjoyment. Compulsions tend to bring some relief.
- Guilt and disgust
- May be accompanied by irrational guilt over for
example minor moral issues, or disgust.
- Cognitive
- Obsessive thoughts
- For around 90% of people with OCD, the main
cognitive feature is obsessive thoughts.
- Cognitive coping strategies
- People respond to obsessive thoughts by adopting
cognitive coping strategies, for example a person
tormented by religious guilt may respond by praying.
- Insight into excessive anxiety
- They are aware that these obsessions and compulsions are
irrational, in fact being self aware is KEY in diagnosis.