Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you

to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

At any age any person can have OCD. More adults who have OCD have had it since childhood and have grown with the disorder. With obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may realize that your obsessions aren't reasonable, and you may try to ignore them or stop them. But that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts such as repeating a situation or doing a certain act a number of times in an effort to ease your stressful feelings.

OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent and unwanted ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that you have involuntarily and that seem to make no sense. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.

OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. So that your obsession can be ignored or makes you feel better about the obsession.

A way to see OCD more clearly is to use examples

A person who fears that they left their light

on(their obsession) will turn off and on their lights 6 times no more no less(their compulsion) this makes then feel like they really did help their obsession. A person who always thinks that they will kill their cat when they walk in the door(obsession) will walk in the door a certain way and if they dont they cannot even look at their cat because they fear they will fail and kill their cat. (thats an odd but good example)

Symptoms Persons suffering from OCD will have noticed or sometimes unnoticed obsessions or compulsions. These obsessions can be but are not limited to fear of contamination from others or objects fears of letting go of persons or objects aggressive impulses sexual images or thoughts The compulsions following the obsessions will likely follow a theme such as: Washing or cleaning Counting Checking Demanding reassurances Orderliness Repeating the same action

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the only scientifically-supported behavioral treatment for OCD. It is recommended by leading national authorities, including the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Medical School and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

There are medications such as antidepressants but none have been proven to work without CBT

State: Maryland State Organization: NAMI Maryland Address: NAMI Maryland 10630 Little Patuxent Pkwy Ste 475 Columbia, MD 21044 Phone: (410) 884-8691 Fax: (410) 884-8695 Email Address: info@namimd.org Website: www.namimd.org Executive Director: Ms. Kathryn S. Farinholt http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Your_Local_NAMI&Template=/CustomSource/AffiliateFinder.cfm International OCD FoundationState Mailing Address: International OCD Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 961029 Boston, MA 02196 Voice: (617) 973-5801 Fax: (617) 973-5803 E-mail: info@ocfoundation.org OCD Tribe Therapist 5010 Sunnyside Avenue, Suite 201 Beltsville, Maryland 20705 t: 3014740060 f: 3014740068 w: www.mcccenter.com http://www.ocdtribe.com/ http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/

CD affects about 2.2 million American adults OCD does not usually involve collecting (collecting and hoarding are 2 completely different behaviors) OCD is not a personality disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which can be a debilitating disorder, affects approximately one in 100 children. That means that close to one million children in the U.S. currently have this illness. Currently there is not cure for OCD

National institute of mental health. ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder, OCD from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessi ve-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml Mayo Clinic. (2010). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obsessivecompulsive-disorder/DS00189 OCD education station homepage has a complete guide on helping with OCD students and on the struggle of having OCD as a student (http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/).