Obsessive compulsive disorder, known more commonly as O.C.D., is widely misunderstood. What most people think when they hear O.C.D. is a disorder which just makes someone a perfectionist. This, however, is not the case. This disorder can cause one to become obsessed with organizing everything, but that is not likely. Each case is different.
While the cause of O.C.D. is unknown, it is thought to be due to a neurological abnormality. Since the cause is unknown, treating it is nearly impossible. However, counseling can help cope with the symptoms.
Symptoms of O.C.D. vary. One case I’ve seen works as a wonderful example. Often, this young girl would feel the urge to put pressure on different things. Not a long, sometimes lightly brushing something, then doing it to the other side until she felt it was ‘right’. For example, when typing on a keyboard, sh would press on one key’s side, then the other. She did this until she deemed it to be correct.
The urge she felt wasn’t like a food craving. If she was not able to brush something or rub it a certain way, she would get enraged or simply break down sobbing. She admitted there was no reason behind it, but she simply felt something. “I can’t describe the kind of desperation it is. It’s more than your will to live. It has to be experienced, not explained” She says.
A method that can usually help the sufferer cope with their symptoms is called ‘controlled procrastination’. If the sufferer is getting ready for work in the morning and suddenly has O.C.D. thoughts, they can simply say to themselves ‘okay, let me brush my teeth and make breakfast, then I’ll do it’. This works when one is in a rush as the sufferer might be lucky enough to forget the ‘task’.
O.C.D. can manifest in other ways. Sometimes it can cause the sufferer to want to avoid certain sounds, textures, or patterns. For example, s sounds, p sounds, t sounds, certain facial expressions, and the all too common one, mouth noises. However, sometimes the stimulus only affects the sufferer if it comes from a certain person. Usually, it’s from some people, but not all. It’s entirely random, though. Walking down the street, a random person walking by could cause the stimulus but not the next.
While this is not an official name, many dub this form of O.C.D. ‘Misophonia’ which means ‘hatred of sound’. The name is misleading as they don’t hate all sounds. The sufferer feels trapped or sometimes their brain imagines pain. They feel in danger when they encounter this stimulus or their ‘trigger’. The sufferer often feels helpless or trapped when they can’t escape the stimulus. Since there is no treatment or cure, most who suffer from this are forced to suffer in silence. Many are forced to simply hide their reaction, but what they feel is real.
Misophonia and O.C.D. can be lived with, but the sufferer and those that he or she spends time with must change their routine and lifestyle. Few families are willing to do this, though. Since this often happens in children and teens, parents simply think they’re being dramatic or hormornal.
O.C.D. is a serious disorder. Next time you tell your friends you have O.C.D. because a crooked picture frame annoys you, try to remember those who actually have to live with such a disorder.
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