Severe OCD causes extreme fears and obsessive thoughts leading to compulsive behavior. Treatment can reduce symptoms, but it may not completely cure the disorder. Patients often require psychotherapy and medication to manage symptoms and lead a normal life.
Severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental health condition. With this disorder, a person’s extreme fears and thought patterns cause them to behave obsessively and display compulsions. A person with a severe case of OCD typically becomes consumed by their OCD symptoms and has great difficulty leading a life that most people would consider normal. Essentially, in this case, the obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors are the only things the patient has time for. Unfortunately, treatment may not completely rid a person of symptoms, but it can help reduce their effect on her life.
When a person has severe OCD, they typically struggle with obsessive thoughts and ideas on a regular basis. He usually has no control over his obsessive thoughts, and they are often illogical. While the focal point of severe OCD can vary from patient to patient, many people with the condition have a fear of dirt or germs. They may feel the need to have things around them organized in a certain way at all times. In some cases, a person with severe OCD struggles with persistent sexual thoughts or has urges to behave aggressively.
The obsessive thoughts a person has with severe OCD are usually unwanted, but the patient is usually unable to stop them. For example, a person may have repeated images of a loved one in pain. Sometimes a patient may even have images of hurting a loved one himself. His OCD may make him fear touching others or even touching surfaces that have not been cleaned thoroughly and repeatedly. He may be afraid to leave an appliance on or a door open and check these things repeatedly.
A person with severe OCD may begin to have other symptoms that result from the repetitive behavior. She may, for example, develop irritated, raw skin from frequent hand washing. Likewise, she may develop bald patches on the scalp due to repeated hair pulling. Additionally, a person with severe OCD may experience crippling anxiety or panic attacks when things are not organized or managed in line with her obsessions.
Severe OCD is often treated with a two-pronged approach. Patients are often treated with psychotherapy and medication to control symptoms. Unfortunately, severe OCD can be a challenge to treat, and many people are never treated. Instead, doctors can focus on controlling and minimizing symptoms so that a patient with OCD can lead a largely normal life.
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