There are many questions that go unanswered for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). And the reason for that is that it is a relatively new disorder and is becoming an epidemic. The symptoms are treatable and that is the refreshing aspect, however there is no known cure.
It is difficult for anyone to avoid thoughts of despair, but when these thoughts are obsessed about, the issues then begin. When an OCD sufferer experiences these disparaging thoughts, a ritual or compulsion to check and recheck must occur to even continue with the next thought. The inability to perform this ritual or to act upon an obsession will lead to anxiety and in some rare cases, aggression and violence.
Washing Away Anxiety
Fear of germs and disease is just one of the OCD sufferers ailments. When the OCD suffer experiences this thought, for example, must wash the unclean part of their body that experienced the germ or disease to the point of washing it raw or bleeding. The most common part of the body washed of course are the hands, the telltale sign of this is that the OCD sufferers hands look raw almost all of the time.
Another symptom is constantly checking and rechecking something that can affect the security of the person or create harm to self or others. Another symptom is the order of objects. Everything has a place and every place has a thing.
To be at peace with these thoughts, is all that someone that suffers from OCD asks for. An OCD sufferer may be at peace when a compulsion is carried out, but that will only be until the next obsession occurs to create the next compulsion. The fact that the OCD sufferer feels that they are alone in this causes depression and the inability to carry out the compulsion results in anxiety to the point of mental paralysis.
There is no known cause to OCD, although scientific research has pointed to the fact that it may run in the family. Does this mean if you mother checks and rechecks the stove and iron that you will do the same?
No, the form you may have may have significantly different obsessions with different compulsions. The fact that it was inherited is the point.
In the past, your relatives may not have been properly diagnosed and were considered insane or might have committed suicide to prevent the compulsions. The relatives health may have deteriorated more quickly than usual (died at a relatively young age) because a relative may have tried to be normal and dealt with the anxiety to the point where it eventually affected their health to the point of death.
Does this mean if a relative had OCD that you are doomed to follow in their footsteps? No! Get treatment, discuss your concerns with a health care professional who will then refer you to a mental health professional and then begin treatment. The reason it is said to discuss this with a health care professional is that the symptom you may be experiencing may not even be the mental disease OCD.