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If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), you may feel you are the only person facing the difficulties of this illness. But you are not alone.

Recent statistics suggest that as many as 1 in 25 people will experience obsessive-compulsive behaviour at some point in their lives. (OCFoundation) Fortunately, very effective treatments for OCD are now available to help you regain a more satisfying life.

What is OCD

Worries, doubts, superstitious beliefs are all common in everyday life. However, when they become excessive such as hours of hand washing or seem to make little sense such as driving around and around the block to check that an accident didn't occur then a diagnosis of OCD is made. In OCD, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just can't let go. People with OCD often say the symptoms feel like a case of mental hiccups that won't go away. OCD is a medical brain disorder that causes problems in information processing. It is not your fault or the result of a "weak" or unstable personality.

OCD symptoms can occur in people of all ages. Not all Obsessive-Compulsive behaviours represent an illness. Some rituals (e.g., bedtime songs, religious practices) are a welcome part of daily life. Normal worries, such as contamination fears, may increase during times of stress, such as when someone in the family is sick or dying. Only when symptoms persist, make no sense, cause much distress, or interfere with functioning do they need clinical attention.

Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of your control. The person does not want to have these ideas, finds them disturbing and intrusive, and usually recognizes that they don't really make sense. People with OCD may worry excessively about dirt and germs and be obsessed with the idea that they are contaminated or may contaminate others. Or they may have obsessive fears of having inadvertently harmed someone else (perhaps while pulling the car out of the driveway), even though they usually know this is not realistic. Obsessions are accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a sensation that things have to be done in a way that is "just so."

People with OCD typically try to make their obsessions go away by performing compulsions. Compulsions are acts the person performs over and over again, often according to certain "rules." People with an obsession about contamination may wash constantly to the point that their hands become raw and inflamed. A person may repeatedly check that she has turned off the stove or iron because of an obsessive fear of burning the house down. She may have to count certain objects over and over because of an obsession about losing them. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure. Rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by the obsessions.

Other features of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD symptoms can cause distress, take up a lot of time or significantly interfere with the person's work, social life, or relationships.

Most individuals with OCD recognize at some point that their obsessions are coming from within their own minds and that the compulsions they perform are over reactive or unreasonable. When someone with OCD does not recognize that his or her beliefs and actions are unreasonable, this is called OCD with poor insight.

OCD symptoms tend to wax and wane over time. Some may be little more than background noise; others may produce extremely severe distress.

One of the most successful ways to deal with OCD or support an OCD sufferer is to become an expert on the illness.

Since OCD can come and go many times during your life, you and your family or others close to you need to learn all about OCD and its treatment. This will help you get the best treatment and keep the illness under control. Read books, attend lectures, and talk to your doctor or a counsellor. Being an informed patient is the surest path to success.

Some people may find themselves suffering from mild forms of obsessive or compulsive behaviour. Whatever the extent of the 'symptoms' it can't do any harm to educate yourself more about the illness. Even if you feel you have it under control at the moment, you may not in the future. Or, you may find yourself supporting someone else with those symptoms at some point.

For support or information about issues such as this you can contact the student union advice centre welfare officers.

If you just need someone to talk to then contact nightline the confidential listening service run by students, for students. Call x94444 between 10pm & 8am every night during term time, for information or just somebody to talk to. Or you can contact the University counselling service in Furness College or on ext.92690.

Or, contact the obsessive-compulsive foundation at www.ocfoundation.org