What are obsessions? What are compulsions? Why do we have them?
Obsessions are uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again in your mind. You don’t
want to think these thought or see these pictures. In fact, you know that they probably do not make any sense. But
you can’t stop them. Unfortunately, you are unable to control them and they are interfering with your ability to carry on
with your daily life.
Compulsions are behaviors or rituals that come after your obsessive thoughts. Io other words once you have the
obsessive thoughts, you are compeled to act them out again and again. Usually, compulsions are performed in an
attempt to make obsessions go away. For example, if you’re afraid of dirt, you might create cleaning rituals.
However, the relief you get from performing the cleaning ritual never lasts. In fact, the obsessive thoughts usually
come back stronger. And the compulsive behaviors often end up causing anxiety upon themselves as they become
more demanding and time-consuming.
Although all people are unique individuals with wonderful trates and charicteristics, most people with obsessive
compulsive disorder have been placed into the following "categories":
- Washers are afraid of any type of dirt. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions.
- Checkers repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that they associate with harm or
danger.
- Doubters and sinners are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will
happen or they will be punished.
- Counters and arrangers are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about
certain numbers, colors, or arrangements.
- Hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things
that they don’t need or use.
The above information has been obtained by the DSM IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders.
|
|
