Question:
I have a question concerning OCD and I would like to hear your opinion on whether I may be suffering from such a condition. >From the articles that I read I feel that I may. I often have feelings that the actions that I do may create harm to my love ones and the world in general. Sometimes I feel as if I have to touch the ground to show respect to the world and that I have to show respect in a religious manner. Like saying God Bless to handicap people. And I don’t have a problem with this because if makes me feel good but sometime, a lot of times I get stuck were I will have to say it repetitively to make sure that the respect is there. I can sometimes overcome this and I will move one but this is a 24 hour thing with me. I am to the point to were it is getting worse and I also have it in my dreams. Is this something that I will overcome or is this something that I need medication and professional help with. Thank you for your time.
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Answer:
Though frequently recognized as irrational, compulsions still manage to force people who have them to act them out, often many times in a row. So, on the face of it, it would appear that you are having experiencing compulsions of some form. Whether this indicates obsessive-compulsive disorder is present can only be determined by a local psychiatrist or psychologist. If it is OCD, you’re best off thinking of it as a sort of neurological/medical disorder and not one that will tend go away on its own. Rather, it will more likely wax and wane with symptoms getting worse during times of stress. OCD is classified as an anxiety disorder, and can be treated with psychiatric medication and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. You would be doing yourself a favor to get yourself diagnosed yes or no so that if OCD is present, you can benefit from treatment.
