Despite many people saying we are all ‘a little’ OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder is a serious condition which can have a major impact. There’s a myth that obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is simply straightening up cans in the kitchen cupboard, or that it revolves mainly around fanatical hand-washing. A term often used in jest to describe someone who is particular and organised, in reality, OCD is an anxiety-related condition.
It manifests in repetitive behaviours and intrusive thoughts that can be debilitating. Among many misconceptions about OCD, we take a look at what’s true and what’s not. OCD is just a fixation with being clean and tidy This could not be further from the truth, says David Veale, a consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, a visiting professor in cognitive behavioural psychotherapies at King’s College London and the co-author of Overcoming OCD .
“OCD is often misconceived as a bit of a joke but there are several different types of OCD, including feeling excessive responsibility for causing harm – for example, fear and doubt about being responsible for a fire or a road traffic accident – which can lead to frequent checking or seeking reassurance,” he explains. “People with OCD can also become overwhelmed by unacceptable thoughts, doubts and images – for example, an irrational fear of being a paedophile or rapist or blasphemous thoughts – and a need for order, symmetry or completeness in objects.” These symptoms are.