What is Psychology?

Answers to Your Psychology Questions

  • Disorders & Syndromes
  • Mental Health
  • Definitions
  • Love & Relationship
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Child Psychology

How to tell if you have OCD?


Self diagnosing a mental health disorder such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is extremely difficult. You might be concerned that there is something wrong, but unless you undergo a diagnostic interview with a qualified mental health professional, you are unlikely to receive a firm diagnosis. Consequently, knowing how to tell if you have OCD is a tricky problem as the symptoms can sometimes occur as a result of another underlying health issue.

How to tell if you have OCD?

The symptoms of OCD rarely happen overnight. In most cases, the symptoms of OCD gradually worsen over time and it is only with the benefit of hindsight that you are able to recognise the early onset of the illness.

What are the symptoms of OCD?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental health problem characterised by obsessions and compulsions. The obsessions can take many forms, but typical types of obsessive behaviour include a fear of germs or repeatedly checking to see if electrical appliances have been switched off. The patterns of compulsive behaviour are usually linked to the obsessions and they tend to occur as a way of dealing with the obsessive thoughts and behavioural patterns. For example, somebody with an obsessive fear of germs might begin washing their hands repeatedly as a way of finding relief from their fear of contamination.

 

Discovering how to tell if you have OCD often takes the form of research into the illness. Many sufferers of OCD suspect there is something wrong, but they are not sure what, so they begin to do their own research in an attempt to find out what might be causing their distressing symptoms.

There are plenty of resources available to help people suffering from OCD and if you suspect you might have the illness, it can help to read up on the possible symptoms before you seek further advice from your doctor.

Filling out a symptom questionnaire is a good way of evaluating your symptoms and although it will not be able to give you a definitive diagnosis, it can be a useful first step in seeking help. Online questionnaires will cover all the OCD symptom areas and all you need to do is tick the symptoms that you think apply to your particular situation. Once you have filled in the form, you will be invited to print off the results and share them with a mental health professional in order to progress to the next stage and receive appropriate treatment for your condition.

But despite the availability of information out in the public realm, a large number of people suffering from the symptoms of OCD fail to seek help for their problem. This is often because the symptoms lead to the sufferer becoming isolated from their friends. There can be a great deal of embarrassment attached to the illness, but even though the patient might be concerned that the bizarre obsessions and compulsions associated with OCD might seem ridiculous to outsiders, such symptoms should nevertheless be considered serious enough to warrant medical help.

Related Articles:

  1. How to Help Someone with OCD? Obsessive compulsive behavior disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by various obsessions and compulsions. It is one of the more common mental health disorders and can affect both children and adults. The symptoms often begin in early adulthood, and unless the patient receives treatment, the disorder will become a...
  2. What are the Symptoms of OCD in Teenagers? Obsessive compulsive disorder is a distressing anxiety related mental health disorder that can affect people of all ages, from toddlers to older adults. OCD is a difficult disorder to diagnose because many sufferers hide the symptoms they are experiencing due to feelings of shame and embarrassment, but it is estimated...
  3. Does Your Hair Grow Back With Trichotillomania? Does your hair grow back with trichotillomania? Hair loss is a very distressing condition, but if the hair loss is related to a mental health problem whereby the sufferer is compulsively pulling his or her own hair out, it can be even more distressing. For most people, the link between...
  4. What are Obsessive Thoughts without Compulsions? Having unwelcome or inappropriate thoughts is very common—most of us have such thoughts at one time or another and it is not unusual to find our minds drifting off on a naughty X-rated fantasy involving the cute young guy in Accounts and a selection of vegetables whilst sitting through another...
  5. What is an Obsessive Cleaning Disorder ? Obsessive cleaning disorder is one of several sub-categories of obsessive-compulsive disorder where the patient has an obsessive compulsion to clean or wash the house or specific objects. What is an obsessive-compulsive disorder? Most of us have little rituals we perform. They might be simple things such as checking the door...

Filed Under: Fear & Anxiety

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Topics

  • Disorders & Syndromes
  • Drugs & Addiction
  • Mental Health
    • Fear & Anxiety
  • Neuroscience
    • Attention & Concentration
    • Memory
    • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
    • Animals
    • Behavior
    • Child Psychology
    • Definitions
    • Education
    • Experimental Psychology
    • Famous Psychologists
    • Gender Difference
    • Language & Communication
    • Love & Relationship
    • Nutrition
    • Popular Psychology
  • Therapy

Recent Posts

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Why Do People Cut Themselves?

Can You Learn While You Sleep?

Is Herpes Linked to Dementia?

Stay updated on Facebook Follow WhatisPsychology on Twitter

Affiliate Links – Advertising Disclosure

If you purchase a product or service linked from this site, we may receive an "affiliate commission". We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" and also in accordance to amazon associates programme operating agreement.

Amazon
The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Copyright © · What is Psychology? · Privacy Policy · About · Archives · Contact us