For some people it’s the paralysing need to wash their hands more than fifty times a day. For others it’s the compulsion to repeatedly check in on a loved one to make sure they are safe.
There is no ‘typical’ obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaviour. The symptoms and features can vary greatly, but you can’t be ‘a little bit OCD’. It’s not a lifestyle choice - the real thing is paralysing.
About half a million Australians are thought to have OCD, but when do obsessive or compulsive thoughts and behaviours become unhealthy?
Psychologist Suzanne Leckie, who manages the SANE Australia Help Centre, explains what it’s like living with the mental illness.
Crossing the line
“We all have worries and things we are anxious about but the majority of us are able to put it into perspective and move on with our day,” says Suzanne.
About half a million Australians are thought to have OCD. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Source: Dominic Lipinski/PA
“With OCD the fears are so intrusive or persistent, they can’t manage it apart from compulsion in order to ease their fear.”
Fear of contamination and fear of harm to a loved one are the most common manifestations of OCD according to Suzanne, but less common obsessive or compulsive thoughts can also form.
“Sometimes people might have elaborate thoughts of doing harm to other people. They are mortified and never act on them,” she says.
“They might be peaceful, loving, amiable people and you can never imagine that their mind is taking them to a dark place.”
The worry about a loss of control, fear of germs or accidents can burden those experiencing OCD with immense feelings of shame and fear, leading them to isolation.
“At its worst they can find it hard to hold down a job,” says Suzanne.
“It can also interfere with family relationships if they have to ring you 50 times a day to know that you’re safe.”
Rituals or compulsions are ways that people with OCD quiet these thoughts to make the world feel safer again. But Suzanne says the act only temporarily alleviates the obsession, which can return in a matter of minutes.
“The most successful treatment available is exposure and response prevention..."
Trying to withhold from the compulsion leads to high levels of anxiety and people report being on the brink of a panic attack unless they go through with the ritual, according to Suzanne.
Getting better
As a result of the illness, people with OCD have an increased risk of such as depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia.
They are also ten times more likely to in comparison to the general population.
The causes of OCD are not fully understood, but are believed to be a combination of genetics that are triggered during life, typically during childhood or adolescence.
“We know the brain is still developing in our mid twenties when there is still a vulnerability, experimentation with drugs, when life events become a bit more stressful,” says Suzanne.
While the illness can take over someone’s life, she reminds that it is very treatable.
“The most successful treatment available is exposure and response prevention where the individual is exposed to their fear but are not allowed to act on the compulsion, in order to break that connection.”
If you, or someone you know, needs help you can contact SANE Australia on 1800 187 263 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
