What are some symptoms of mild OCD?

Answer 1

1) recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress.

(2) the thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems

(3) the person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action

(4) the person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind

(1) repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.

(2) the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

In addition to these criteria, at some point during the course of the disorder, the sufferer must realize that his/her obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive. Moreover, the obsessions or compulsions must be time consuming (taking up more than one hour per day), cause distress, or cause impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning (Quick Reference from DSM-IV-TR, 2000).

There is a condition in between OCD and schizophrenia, where the people don't realize their obsession and compulsions are unreasonable. For example, one young man believed in a power that could bring him luck if he did the rituals correctly. He would see a black dot leave his body and enter an object, and then he'd have to do rituals to get it back.

Answer 2

one of the most common symptoms is washing hands with the fear of being infected...or the fear of becoming a worse person.

another symptom is having to undergo certain physical routines such as specific routines that when explained verbally make no sense, but it makes perfect rational sense to you.

Counting and repeating everyday tasks so as the are 'done correctly' and do not 'harm' you or anybody else both mentally and physcially.

If you have these symptoms then don't fear. a therapist can help you organise you thoughts.
The most effective way to deal with this is trying to categorize rational and irrational thoughts on the basis of your common sense.
Overcoming OCD is not always easy but it can be done!
I suffered from OCD last year and learnt to deal with it so as it no long affected my life.

Have faith, it will soon be a distant memory.

Read this poem you may relate to it if you do have the symptoms:

The Compulsion

It needs to be fulfilled
It will make you a better person
It don’t make any difference if you don’t
But it’ll be better for us all if you do
I don’t care how it affects you
Just make sure it’s done properly
It doesn’t matter if its hurting others
They understand, it doesn’t matter

Life becomes harder
It’s like thinking for three
Can’t do certain things anymore
Like a complex formula and dividing by me
At first there’s no rhythm
Then it’s routine
Then I take over your life
So you can’t breathe

Like living in a time warp
Doing it over and over
But once it’s done it’s dusted
Star into supernova
The key is there
I’m apart of you
But you can distance yourself
If you really want to

You can change me
For better or worse
It’s all up to you
Its not a curse
I can stay for as long as permitted
Yet I reside committed
But time may come for liberation
The solution is dedication
Don’t ask for an explanation
It will soon become a distant sensation

Answer 3

OCD is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th edition text revision of the American Psychiatric Assn. (DSM-IV-TR). There is no "mild" form of the disorder, either you have it or you don't, though there is an OCD Personality Disorder.


The Quick Reference to the diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR (2000) describes these obsessions and compulsions:

Obsessions are defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):

(1) recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress.

(2) the thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems

(3) the person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action

(4) the person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind

Compulsions are defined by (1) and (2):

(1) repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.

(2) the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

In addition to these criteria, at some point during the course of the disorder, the sufferer must realize that his/her obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive. Moreover, the obsessions or compulsions must be time consuming (taking up more than one hour per day), cause distress, or cause impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning (Quick Reference from DSM-IV-TR, 2000).

Answer 4

Washing themselves
Checking
Counting
Repeating phrases
Hoarding things
Making lists
Rearranging objects endlessly in an effort to keep them in precise alignment with each other.

Answer 5

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