People who have OCD did not do anything to cause it. And it isn’t caused by the way parents raise their children. OCD is a neurobiological disorder — not a condition that is caused by action or inaction.
Here are some common misperceptions about the causes of OCD:
You’re not alone if you have OCD. This disorder affects millions of people, and they come from every age group, race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. College can be stressful, and it’s not unusual to first experience OCD symptoms there.
Everybody worries at times. It’s normal to worry about things like school, how you look, what you said or did in a certain situation, how your parents will react to something you did, or what the future will bring. But OCD takes worries and doubts to the extreme.
For example, most people have thoughts about others spreading germs or doubts about whether they locked their front door. Usually these thoughts crop up and then disappear. But if they keep returning and cause you a lot of anxiety if you don’t wash your hands or repeatedly check the front door, it could be OCD.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment for OCD that uses two scientifically based techniques to change a person’s behavior and thoughts: exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy. CBT is conducted by a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has special training in treating OCD.
Having obsessive-compulsive disorder isn’t the end of the world. Of course you’d rather not have it, but just like asthma, diabetes, and other medical conditions, there is a treatment. You will be able to live with OCD and manage its symptoms. Just give yourself a little time to learn about this disorder and keep it under control.
Dr. Elspeth Bell, a licensed psychologist at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington, speaks on behalf of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She describes the mental illness OCD, which stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is a serious and often debilitating chronic anxiety disorder that causes people to have unwanted and intrusive thoughts, or obsessions. To try to ease their anxiety or distress, people with OCD often repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines, called compulsions.
Interacting with and caring for a family member with OCD can be very stressful. To effectively help that person, you need to do whatever is necessary to take care of your own physical and emotional well-being. Here are some tips about what you can—and cannot—do.
Attending school presents students with opportunities to develop academic skills along with social skills that will follow a student throughout life. For a student who has OCD, symptoms can present barriers to social development.
When a student has OCD, the patterns of problems of the disorder may become more obvious and predictable. It’s unrealistic to expect disciplinary action to change what the student is unable to change, and it may actually create more stress for the already distressed student and exacerbate symptoms.
Students who have OCD may benefit from social support strategies at school.
Teachers, principals, school nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and paraprofessionals can play a pivotal role in helping a student.
