5 Signs showing you are probably having OCD

Are you stuck counting numbers over and over again? Scared of touching germs or dirt? Do you have thoughts that make you feel anxious or scared? These can be normal with no mental illness associated with it, however, it can also be as a result of an extremely severe mental illness like Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

How can you tell if your OCD tendencies are symptoms that require medical assistance? According to Jeff Szymanski, Ph.D., executive director of the International OCD Foundation, he said: “There is no easy way to know for certain if one suffers from OCD, it only depends on the degree.” Here are 5 most common symptoms.

1. Hand washing

This compulsive act has been so common, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, find themselves washing or sanitizing their hands frequently. This symptom has been generally accepted as a category with the name “washer.” The compulsion to keep on washing those hands are from fear of germs, being impure, or immoral.

these intrusive thoughts become severe when after sanitizing your hands you still get those fears. At this point, you need medical assistance, as this repetitive obsession and compulsion might start affecting your ability to complete daily tasks.

2. Checking Behaviors

Patients with these symptoms are left uncertain at all times. They check the oven, doors or light about 4, 10 or more times just to be precise that they off or closed. Unlike many other symptoms, these can be fueled by a lot of different obsessions – fear of getting hurt, deep-seated feelings of irresponsibility, and many others.

It is absolutely normal to want to double check things and see that they are perfectly okay. However, when it begins to affect your daily lives and starts becoming the reason for getting late to work. If you start feeling uncomfortable until you go back and check, then it might be a sign you have OCD.

3. Counting

Patient with this tendency, find themselves compelled to perform a task in a particular numeric sequence or counts. This symptom might be as a result of their belief that certain numbers have a certain significance. Some believe that the number 7 bring good luck.

This symptom can be distracting as you walk to your office or when performing tasks. However, if it doesn’t bother you or someone else then you are fine and free.

4. Organisation

Patients diagnosed with OCD due to this symptom, love to organize their things to a high level of perfection. To them all things have to be kept right, appear right and be symmetric. The obsession has to do with order and symmetry.

They always feel anxious around unorder things and only get relieved when all things are in order and perfectly symmetrical.

5. Unwanted Sexual thoughts

This thought is about taboo or inappropriate unwanted sexual thoughts. Their thoughts are usually about molesting a child, having unnatural sex with animals, or wonder about their sexual identity.

Almost everyone has this thought, however it easy for people without the obsessive-compulsive disorder to dismiss them. However, people with this mental illness find think of these thoughts differently. They think it defines who they are. The thought might change their behaviors towards the subject of obsession.

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