Obsessive-compulsive disorder

In general

 * Stressor
 * internal (in contrast to impulse control disorder) → Alleviation
 * Imagine you hold your breath -> the internal urge to breath is here the obsession ("I need air") and the act of breathing is the compulsion ("breathing"), that relieves the stressor
 * Obsessions are...
 * Anxiety provoking
 * internal, intrusive, unwanted, thoughts/preoccupation
 * Compulsions are...
 * anxiety reducing → if suppressed → more anxiety
 * behaviors, rituals

Examples of obsessions and compulsions

 * washing hands excessively (they will literally wash of their skin), checking if the door is locked 19x times, doing a certain movement if XY happens -> very irrational and the people know it -> they are very stressed about it since it is functionally disableing for them
 * Dx: it becomes a disorder if it becomes dysfunction (socially, job, ..) → Dx according to clinical criteria: obsessions and compulsions, it needs to be time-consuming (≥ 1 hour/day) or result in significant distress at school/work, not due to something else (medication, mental disorder)
 * DDx: Obsessive compulsive personality disorder, Psychosis, GAD, hoarding disorder, tic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania
 * Tx:
 * Psychotherapy (CBT) > medication
 * SSRI, generally don´t use benzos
 * redirecting, reducing

Related disorders

 * Hoarding: hoards trash
 * Body dysmorphic disorder: women occupied with seemingly minor parts of their body, they will often undergo multiple surgeries for that
 * Muscle dysphoria: "the male counterpart", but females can have it too
 * Trichotillomania: pulls out hair at different times at different parts of the head