By YKA Staff:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, commonly known as OCD, is a potentially disabling illness that traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts and behaviours. In the United States, 1 in 100 children has OCD or OCD-like symptoms. There are many myths surrounding the disorder. Some people believe that excessive stress leads to it, and even family dynamics may be a cause of it.
Parents often dismiss it as a ‘habit problem‘, when the symptoms are first visible in children. Two common symptoms are obsessions and compulsions. According to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that occur again and again and feel outside the person’s control. Individuals with these thoughts find them disturbing. It is accompanied by intense and uncomfortable feelings such as fear, disgust, doubt or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is ‘just right’.
This disorder can affect any person at any stage of their life. It is necessary to take the symptoms into account and provide medical care to the person afflicted with it. It is curable, it is not a sign of mental instability. Disorders like these go unnoticed many times because awareness levels are low, but it is necessary to abort the stigma and help the person.
Image Source: News By Design