at your skin
- Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
OCD compulsion symptoms
OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress related to your obsessions. For instance, if you believe you ran over someone in your car, you may return to the apparent scene over and over because you just can't shake your doubts. You may also make up rules or rituals to follow that help control the anxiety you feel when having obsessive thoughts.
As with OCD obsessions, compulsions typically have themes, such as:
- Washing and cleaning
- Demanding reassurances
- Performing the same action repeatedly
OCD symptoms involving compulsions may include:
- Hand washing until your skin becomes raw
- Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked
- Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off
- Counting in certain patterns
- Making sure all your canned goods face the same way
The cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder isn't fully understood. Main theories include:
- Biology. Some evidence shows that OCD may be a result of changes in your body's own natural chemistry or brain functions. Some evidence also shows that OCD may have a genetic component, but specific genes have yet to be identified.
- Environment. Some researchers believe that OCD stems from behavior-related habits that you learned over time.
- Insufficient serotonin. An insufficient level of serotonin, one of your brain's chemical messengers, may contribute to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some studies that compare images of the brains of people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder with the brains of those who don't show differences in brain activity patterns. In addition, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder who take medications that enhance the action of serotonin often have fewer OCD symptoms.
- Strep throat. Some studies suggest that some children develop OCD after infection with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis — strep throat. However, these studies are controversial and more evidence is needed before strep throat can be blamed.
Factors that may increase the risk of developing or triggering obsessive-compulsive disorder include:
- Family history. Having parents or other family members with the disorder can increase your risk of developing OCD. However, researchers haven't identified any genes responsible for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Stressful life events. If you tend to react strongly to stress, your risk may increase. This reaction may, for some reason, trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Pregnancy. Some studies show that pregnant women and new mothers are at increased risk, but it's not clear why. In these cases, OCD symptoms center mainly on thoughts of harming the baby.
It was once thought that obsessive-compulsive disorder was a rare condition. But it's now known to be more common than many other mental illnesses. In fact, about 2.2 million Americans have obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder often begins during early childhood or adolescence, usually around age 10. In adults, OCD typically begins around age 21.
Complications that obsessive-compulsive disorder may cause or be associated with include:
- Suicidal thoughts and behavior
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Other anxiety disorders
- Eating disorders
- Contact dermatitis from frequent hand washing
- Inability to attend work or school
- Troubled relationships
- Overall poor quality of life
If your doctor or mental health provider believes you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder, he or she typically runs a series of medical and psychological tests and exams. These can help pinpoint a diagnosis, rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms and check for any related complications.
These exams and tests generally include:
- Physical exam. This may include measuring height and weight, checking vital signs,