I am an OCD mom

Being an OCD mom of three is to say the least a crazy ride, it can make life very difficult for my family just as much as it makes life extremely difficult for me.

I drive my husband absolutely insane redoing things over and over until I am happy or redoing things that he has already done…. My washing has to be folded a certain way and packed in a certain way, the bed has to be made in a certain way, the cleaning done constantly and in a certain way, which is funny because I grew up with an undiagnosed OCD mother, and I can tell you now that if I am OCD then she sure as the nose on my face is as well she is 100 x worse and I am pretty sure she is the better part of the reason of the way I am today….. She will never say so but I tell you it is true.


 

I am sure I drive my kids insane as well and I know that I have driven my partners a bit loony as well or at least those that I have lived with… and look I know it is illogical to straighten a couch every 2 minutes when I know the kids will jump on it again a minute later, I know it is irrational to shine may sink spotless only to have dishes in it a while later but I honestly cannot help it and as much as I have tried to leave it, it irritates me until I do it, and so for me it is just easier to give in and do it instead of getting upset and frustrated and being a holy cow to everyone around me.

Do I like being this way hell no, have I tried to stop it, yes I have but I just can’t and I know for people who aren’t OCD this may be hard to understand but it’s kind of like an addiction or an itch you need to scratch if you don’t do it nags at you and weighs on you and irritates you causing an anxiety until you give in.

It hurst when people think I am being stupid or doing things idiotically but I have just learned to live with it. 

So I thought I might gather some info for anyone out there who thinks they may have OCD or has a family member or friend with OCD to help make it easier to understand the dynamics of what it is and how it affects someone.

The following info was taken from a variety of sources but there are no shortage of OCD based sites if you are looking for more information.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear or worry (obsessions), repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety (compulsions), or a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. 

Symptoms of the disorder can include excessive washing or cleaning, repeated checking, extreme hoarding, preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts, relationship-related obsessions, aversion to particular numbers and nervous rituals such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. 

The acts of those who have OCD may appear paranoid and potentially psychotic. However, people with OCD generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational and may become further distressed by this realization. Despite the irrational behavior, OCD is associated with high verbal IQ.

 

Treatment for OCD involves the use of behavioral therapy and sometimes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The type of behavior therapy used involves increasing exposure to what causes the problems while not allowing the compulsive behavior to occur. Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine may be useful when used in addition to an SSRI in treatment-resistant cases but are associated with an increased risk of side effects. 

Associated conditions

People with OCD may be diagnosed with other conditions, as well or instead of OCD, such as the aforementioned obsessive–compulsive personality disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, anorexia nervosa, social anxiety disorder, bulimia nervosa, Tourette syndrome, Asperger syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking), body dysmorphic disorder, and trichotillomania (hair pulling). 

Someone exhibiting OCD signs does not necessarily have OCD. Behaviours that present as (or seem to be) obsessive or compulsive can also be found in a number of other conditions as well, including obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), autism spectrum disorders, disorders where perseveration is a possible feature (ADHD, PTSD, bodily disorders or habit problems), or sub-clinically.

Some with OCD present with features typically associated with Tourette's syndrome, such as compulsions that may appear to resemble motor tics; this has been termed "tic-related OCD" or "Tourettic OCD".

Causes

Scholars generally agree that both psychological and biological factors play a role in causing the disorder, although they differ in their degree of emphasis upon either type of factor.

Psychological

An evolutionary psychology view is that moderate versions of compulsive behaviour may have had evolutionary advantages. Examples would be moderate constant checking of hygiene, the hearth, or the environment for enemies. Similarly, hoarding may have had evolutionary advantages. In this view OCD may be the extreme statistical "tail" of such behaviours possibly due to a high amount of predisposing genes. 

Biological

Main article: Biology of obsessive–compulsive disorder

OCD has been linked to abnormalities with the neurotransmitter serotonin, although it could be either a cause or an effect of these abnormalities. Serotonin is thought to have a role in regulating anxiety. To send chemical messages from one neuron to another, serotonin must bind to the receptor sites located on the neighbouring nerve cell. It is hypothesized that the serotonin receptors of OCD sufferers may be relatively under stimulated. This suggestion is consistent with the observation that many OCD patients benefit from the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of antidepressant medications that allow for more serotonin to be readily available to other nerve cells. 

A possible genetic mutation may contribute to OCD. A mutation has been found in the human serotonin transporter gene, in unrelated families with OCD. Moreover, data from identical twins supports the existence of a "heritable factor for neurotic anxiety". Further, individuals with OCD are more likely to have first-degree family members exhibiting the same disorders than do matched controls. In cases where OCD develops during childhood, there is a much stronger familial link in the disorder than cases in which OCD develops later in adulthood. In general, genetic factors account for 45–65% of OCD symptoms in children diagnosed with the disorder. Environmental factors also play a role in how these anxiety symptoms are expressed; various studies on this topic are in progress and the presence of a genetic link is not yet definitely established.

Rapid onset of OCD in children and adolescents may be caused by a syndrome connected to Group A streptococcal infections (PANDAS) or caused by immunologic reactions to other pathogens (PANS). 

Neurotransmitters

Researchers have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of OCD, but brain differences, genetic influences, and environmental factors are being studied. Brain scans of people with OCD have shown that they have different patterns of brain activity than people without OCD and that different functioning of circuitry within a certain part of the brain, the striatum, may cause the disorder. Differences in other parts of the brain and neurotransmitter dysregulation, especially serotonin and dopamine, may also contribute to OCD. Independent studies have consistently found unusual dopamine and serotonin activity in various regions of the brain in individuals with OCD. These can be defined as dopaminergic hyperfunction in the prefrontal cortex (mesocortical dopamine pathway) and serotonergic hypofunction in the basal ganglia. Glutamate dysregulation has also been the subject of recent research, although its role in the disorder's etiology is not yet clear. Glutamate is known to act as a cotransmitter with dopamine in dopamine pathways that project out of the ventral tegmental area.

What exactly are obsessions and compulsions?

Obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that occur over and over again and feel outside of the person’s control. Individuals with OCD do not want to have these thoughts and find them disturbing. In most cases, people with OCD realize that these thoughts don’t make any sense.  Obsessions are typically 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.” In the context of OCD, obsessions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values. This last part is extremely important to keep in mind as it, in part, determines whether someone has OCD — a psychological disorder — rather than an obsessive personality trait.

Unfortunately, “obsessing” or “being obsessed” are commonly used terms in every day language. These more casual uses of the word means that someone is preoccupied with a topic or an idea or even a person. “Obsessed” in this everyday sense doesn’t involve problems in day-to-day living and even has a pleasurable component to it. You can be “obsessed” with a new song you hear on the radio, but you can still meet your friend for dinner, get ready for bed in a timely way, get to work on time in the morning, etc., despite this obsession. In fact, individuals with OCD have a hard time hearing this usage of “obsession” as it feels as though it diminishes their struggle with OCD symptoms.

Even if the content of the “obsession” is more serious, for example, everyone might have had a thought from time to time about getting sick, or worrying about a loved one’s safety, or wondering if a mistake they made might be catastrophic in some way, that doesn’t mean these obsessions are necessarily symptoms of OCD. While these thoughts look the same as what you would see in OCD, someone without OCD may have these thoughts, be momentarily concerned, and then move on. In fact, research has shown that most people have unwanted “intrusive thoughts” from time to time, but in the context of OCD, these intrusive thoughts come frequently and trigger extreme anxiety that gets in the way of day-to-day functioning.

Compulsions are the second part of obsessive compulsive disorder. These are repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person uses with the intention of neutralizing, counteracting, or making their obsessions go away. People with OCD realize this is only a temporary solution but without a better way to cope they rely on the compulsion as a temporary escape. Compulsions can also include avoiding situations that trigger obsessions. Compulsions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values.

Similar to obsessions, not all repetitive behaviors or “rituals” are compulsions.  You have to look at the function and the context of the behavior. For example, bedtime routines, religious practices, and learning a new skill all involve some level of repeating an activity over and over again, but are usually a positive and functional part of daily life. Behaviors depend on the context. Arranging and ordering books for eight hours a day isn’t a compulsion if the person works in a library. Similarly, you may have “compulsive” behaviors that wouldn’t fall under OCD, if you are just a stickler for details or like to have things neatly arranged. In this case, “compulsive” refers to a personality trait or something about yourself that you actually prefer or like. In most cases, individuals with OCD feel driven to engage in compulsive behavior and would rather not have to do these time consuming and many times torturous acts. In OCD, compulsive behavior is done with the intention of trying to escape or reduce anxiety or the presence of obsessions.

Common Obsessions in OCD ^[1]

Contamination Body fluids (examples urine feces) Germs/disease (examples herpes HIV) Environmental contaminants (examples: asbestos radiation) Household chemicals (examples cleaners solvents) Dirt Losing Control Fear of acting on an impulse to harm oneself Fear of acting on an impulse to harm others Fear of violent or horrific images in one’s mind Fear of blurting out obscenities or insults Fear of stealing things Harm Fear of being responsible for something terrible happening (examples: fire burglary) Fear of harming others because of not being careful enough (example: dropping something on the ground that might cause someone to slip and hurt him/herself) Obsessions Related to Perfectionism Concern about evenness or exactness Concern with a need to know or remember Fear of losing or forgetting important information when throwing something out Inability to decide whether to keep or to discard things Fear of losing things

Unwanted Sexual Thoughts Forbidden or perverse sexual thoughts or images Forbidden or perverse sexual impulses about others Obsessions about homosexuality Sexual obsessions that involve children or incest Obsessions about aggressive sexual behavior towards others Religious Obsessions (Scrupulosity) Concern with offending God, or concern about blasphemy Excessive concern with right/wrong or morality Other Obsessions Concern with getting a physical illness or disease (not by contamination, e.g. cancer) Superstitious ideas about lucky/unlucky numbers certain colors

Common Compulsions in OCD ^[2]

Washing and Cleaning Washing hands excessively or in a certain way Excessive showering, bathing, tooth-brushing, grooming ,or toilet routines Cleaning household items or other objects excessively Doing other things to prevent or remove contact with contaminants Checking Checking that you did not/will not harm others Checking that you did not/will not harm yourself Checking that nothing terrible happened Checking that you did not make a mistake Checking some parts of your physical condition or body Repeating Rereading or rewriting Repeating routine activities (examples: going in or out doors, getting up or down from chairs) Repeating body movements (example: tapping, touching, blinking) Repeating activities in “multiples” (examples: doing a task three times because three is a “good,” “right,” “safe” number)

Mental Compulsions Mental review of events to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences) Praying to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences) Counting while performing a task to end on a “good,” “right,” or “safe” number “Cancelling” or “Undoing” (example: replacing a “bad” word with a “good” word to cancel it out) Other Compulsions Putting things in order or arranging things until it “feels right” Telling asking or confessing to get reassurance Avoiding situations that might trigger your obsessions