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  1. Obsessive compulsive disorder - Symptoms

    Verified Expert
    Seek immediate medical attention if you experience symptoms.

    Symptoms can be either obsessions or compulsions, or both. Symptoms can be mild and gradually progress in severity.

    • Stress worsens the symptoms
    • Persistent, repeated and unwanted thoughts
    • Urges or images that are intrusive
    • Compulsive or ritualistic behavior to get rid of the thoughts

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    Causes

    Verified Expert

    • The exact cause is not completely understood. It may be associated with:
    • Changes in the chemistry and functioning of brain
    • Family history
    • Environmental factors such as certain infections are said to trigger OCD
    • infections such as streptococcal infection
    • Stressful events in life
    • Other mental illness such as depression or anxiety
    • Substance or alcohol abuse

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    Prevention

    Verified Expert

    • Learn about your condition
    • Take your medications in the prescribed doses and at the right time
    • Complete your medications without stopping them half way
    • Learn to identify the warning signs and symptoms
    • Join a support group
    • Remain socially active
    • Talk to your doctor regarding any side effects of medicines

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    What causes OCD & other mental health disorders?
    If you've gone through traumatic or stressful events, your risk may increase. This reaction may cause the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress seen in OCD. Other mental health disorders.OCD may be related to other mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse or tic disorders.
    mayoclinic.org

    Complications

    Verified Expert

    If untreated after a prolonged period, it may lead to complications such as:

    • Contact dermatitis from frequent hand-washing
    • Inability to attend work, school or social activities due to repetitive actions
    • Troubled family and social relationships
    • Poor quality of life
    • Suicidal thoughts and behavior

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    obsessive compulsive disorder_en
    Microsoft Start Health

    Treatment

    Verified Expert

    Treatments aim at reducing symptoms. It may include psychotherapy or medications.

    Medication

    Antidepressants: To reduce symptoms.

    Clomipramine . Fluoxetine . Sertraline

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    Source: Focus Medica. For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice. | Disclaimer: Opinions are from external health professionals and should not be considered as Microsoft's opinion or a substitute for professional help. Consult a health professional for medical advice.
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    Table of Contents
    Symptoms
    Causes
    Prevention
    What causes OCD & other mental health disorders?
    Complications
    Health guide
    Treatment
     
  1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
    • According to 3 sources
    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition in which you have frequent unwanted thoughts that cause you to perform repetitive behaviors. Treatment for OCD usually involves psychotherapy and medication. The sooner OCD is diagnosed and treated, the better the outlook.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Dis…

    my.clevelandclinic.org
    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both. People with OCD have time-consuming symptoms that can cause significant distress or interfere with daily life.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Dis…

    nimh.nih.gov
    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or urges (obsessions). It also can cause you to do certain actions over and over again (compulsions). You may have both obsessions and compulsions.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Dis…

    webmd.com
  2. People also ask
    Is OCD a mental health disorder?
    It's sometimes hard to diagnose OCD because symptoms can be like those of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia or other mental health disorders. And it's possible to have OCD and another mental health disorder. Work with your doctor so that you can get the right diagnosis and treatment.

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Diagnosis and treatment - May…

    mayoclinic.org
    What are the symptoms of OCD?

    Dr. Howard E. LeWine

    M.D. Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 40 years of exp

    The two defining symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. The symptoms are bad enough to be time-consuming, cause functional impairment or be significantly distressing. Obsessions are persistent, repeated, anxiety-provoking or distressing thoughts that intrude into a person's consciousness. Obsessions vary and can relate to any kind of fear. Compulsions are persistent, repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to help reduce the anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts.
    1 more answer
    bing.com
    What causes OCD & other mental health disorders?
    If you've gone through traumatic or stressful events, your risk may increase. This reaction may cause the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress seen in OCD. Other mental health disorders.OCD may be related to other mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse or tic disorders.

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Symptoms and causes

    mayoclinic.org
    What does it mean if you have OCD?
    According to the DSM-5, having OCD means: You have obsessions, compulsions, or both that you can't control. You may feel forced to carry out a compulsion in response to a particular obsession, and it may give you temporary relief from the stress caused by that obsession. Obsessions and compulsions take up at least 1 hour a day.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Signs and Treatment - WebMD

    webmd.com
    Is OCD a personality disorder?
    OCPD is a personality disorder that causes an extensive preoccupation with perfectionism, organization and control. People with OCD are usually aware that their obsessions and compulsions are problematic and accept that they need professional help to treat the condition.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Cleveland Clinic

    my.clevelandclinic.org
    What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions. These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions get in the way of daily activities and cause a lot of distress.

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Symptoms and causes

    mayoclinic.org
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  3. Mayo Clinic
    https://www.mayoclinic.org › diseases-conditions › ...

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Symptoms and causes

  4. Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Obsessive–compulsive_disorder

    Obsessive–compulsive disorder - Wikipedia

  5. Psychiatry.org
    https://www.psychiatry.org › patients-families › ...

    What Is are Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders?

  6. NIMH
    https://www.nimh.nih.gov › health › top…

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - National Institute of …

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting disorder that causes uncontrollable and recurring thoughts, urges, or behaviors. Learn about the signs, symptoms, causes, and treatments of OCD from the NIMH.

  7. WebMD
    https://www.webmd.com › mental-health › obsessive...

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Signs and Treatment

  8. NIMH
    https://www.nimh.nih.gov › health › pu…

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted …

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both.

  9. NAMI
    https://www.nami.org › About-Mental-Illness › Mental...

    Obsessive-compulsive Disorder - NAMI

  10. Mayo Clinic
    https://www.mayoclinic.org › diseases-conditions › ...

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Mayo Clinic

  11. Johns Hopkins Medicine
    https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org › he…

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Johns Hopkins …

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder. It causes unreasonable thoughts, fears, or worries. A person with OCD tries to manage these thoughts through rituals. Frequent disturbing thoughts or images are …

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