FM93 Reporter: Wang Jue Correspondent: Guo Jun
The red dot on the mobile phone must be clicked away,
The shoes on the shoe cabinet must be placed in one direction,
The toilet paper must be torn neatly,
After going out, frequently look back to confirm if it’s locked
…….
Many people have experienced these situations in life. So, some people mock themselves as “obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.”
But in fact, most of these situations are a kind of compulsive phenomenon. The true obsessive-compulsive disorder is a highly disabling mental illness, known as “psychological cancer,” which is much more serious than you can imagine.
Had a cleanliness obsession when young
60-year-old aunt can’t stop bathing for 6 hours
“I just can’t control myself, I feel very dirty.” 60-year-old Aunt Wang (pseudonym) said painfully. “Not only my arms, but everywhere on my body is scratched by me, all from washing. I know it’s not necessary, but…” Speaking of this, she lowered her head, rubbing her hands incessantly.
Since the peak of summer arrived, Aunt Wang’s bathing frequency has greatly increased, almost bathing four or five times a day, and the bathing time has become longer and longer. At first, her family members thought it was due to the hot weather, bathing more frequently was normal. But unexpectedly, a few days ago, she bathed from 9 a.m. until after 3 p.m., her family saw that she hadn’t eaten lunch, then they found out the truth by asking her and took her to the Zhejiang hospital for treatment.
Dr. Wu Xuxu from the Zhejiang Hospital’s Department of Mental Health, who received her, learned that Aunt Wang had a history of OCD for more than 20 years, she was very clean when she was young, obsessive about cleanliness, but didn’t feel distressed at that time. In her 40s, her symptoms worsened, with repeated handwashing and bathing, always feeling that her body was sterile, not letting anyone touch her. If someone touched her by accident, she had to clean herself. At first, a quick rinse, but gradually, the rinsing time increased to over ten minutes, even one or two hours.
Through medication and psychotherapy, Aunt Wang’s condition has now been effectively relieved.
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD for short, is an anxiety disorder. Dr. Wu Wanzhen, Deputy Director of the Department of Mental Health at Zhejiang Hospital, explained that the symptoms are mainly divided into two categories – obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
Obsessive thoughts refer to repetitive, unwanted, or intrusive thoughts, doubts, images, or urges appearing in the mind. Their presence can be distressing and contradictory. Common obsessive thoughts include:
1. Obsessive worry or doubt: Worrying about not doing things well, suspecting being infected with a disease, being misunderstood because of saying something wrong, etc.
2. Obsessive reminiscing: Repeatedly reminiscing past events, music heard, words spoken, scenes seen. If interrupted during the recollection, it must start over, causing irritability due to the fear of disturbance during reminiscence.
3. Obsessive overthinking: Patients repeatedly ponder over common things, concepts, or phenomena unnecessarily, exploring deeply, knowing it has no real significance, but can’t control it. Like pondering “Why do people speak?” “Why does it rain?” “Why is the Earth round, not square?” “Why does 1+1 equal 2?”
4. Obsessive contradictory notions: An idea or phrase arises in the patient’s mind, which involuntarily leads to another concept or term, often in opposition. For instance, thinking of “peace” immediately triggers thoughts of “war”; seeing “beauty” brings up “ugly” in the mind.
Compulsive behaviors are repeated actions or mental activities, usually secondary to obsessive thoughts or driven by them; they are typically involuntary and difficult to restrain. Common compulsive behaviors include:
1. Checking compulsions: Constantly insecure, repeatedly checking, fearing problems or mishaps at home, causing extreme anxiety. This is demonstrated by repeatedly checking doors and windows, gas locks, unplugging electrical sockets, checking homework multiple times without feeling reassured.
2. Washing compulsions: Patients repeatedly wash their hands, bathe, or launder clothing and dishes to eliminate fears of contamination by dirt, toxins, or germs.
3. Questioning compulsions: OCD patients often distrust what they see or hear, to alleviate this doubt-induced anxiety, they incessantly question others (especially family members) for explanations and assurances, constantly asking if they said something wrong, if they did something wrong, etc.
Causes of OCD
The main causes of OCD are still unclear, but they may be related to genetic factors, serotonin deficiency, or abnormalities in the dopamine system. Those with direct relatives suffering from OCD, individuals with meticulous personalities are more prone to OCD, and psychoanalytic and cognitive factors are common inducements of OCD.
The high-risk population for OCD includes: individuals with direct relatives suffering from OCD (people with OCD among parents or siblings, are also a high-risk group for OCD), individuals with meticulous personalities (those who excessively pursue perfection, are suspicious, cautious, and rigid in character, are at high risk for OCD).
Source: Documentary “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Demon Within”
The hazards of OCD
Although OCD is classified as a mild mental illness and seems harmless, with apparent normal language communication, cognitive association, and basic emotional coordination, its internal sense of distress is very strong, causing restlessness, internal agony, often incomprehensible by family members. If not treated promptly, it will severely impair social functioning, and severely affected OCD patients may be prone to self-harm or harming others.
Wu Wanzhen reminds that when abnormal symptoms are noticed, seeking treatment from the Department of Mental Health at the hospital is essential, early detection leads to early treatment, preventing recurrence of the condition and making treatment more effective.
Author: Department of Mental Health
Source: FM93 Traffic Voice
