Guide To The Major Types Of Anxiety Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a widely misunderstood mental illness. Individuals with this condition have obsessive thoughts that drive them to engage in repetitive or harmful behaviors called compulsions. While it's common to have bad habits or the occasional unwanted thought, these things are debilitating for a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The thought processes are persistent and cause a great deal of anxiety. Failing to follow through with compulsions also causes distress. The majority of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients are aware their obsessive thoughts aren't true, though others believe them to be true. Regardless of whether they're aware of the irrationality, it's difficult to stop focusing on the obsessions and redirect attention to more productive things. To be diagnosed with this disorder, the obsessions or compulsions must occur for more than one hour a day, impair day-to-day life, and cause serious distress. About one percent of the United States population has this disorder. The symptoms tend to manifest in adolescence, childhood, or young adulthood. The average age of onset is around nineteen years old.

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