Is OCD a mental illness? Would you be considered mentally ill for life since there is no cure for OCD?

Question

I know there are several treatments to help manage OCD along with some drugs to alleviate some symptoms, but it still isn't a cure. Therefore, would you be considered mentally-ill for life if you have OCD?

Answer 1

obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder.. and yes a mental illness..
some people have been helped though cognitive therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.. some have even been cured in a sense because they no longer have the urge to do their rituals..

Answer 2

Is Ocd A Mental Illness

Answer 3

Is Ocd A Mental Disorder

Answer 4

RE:
Is OCD a mental illness? Would you be considered mentally ill for life since there is no cure for OCD?
I know there are several treatments to help manage OCD along with some drugs to alleviate some symptoms, but it still isn't a cure. Therefore, would you be considered mentally-ill for life if you have OCD?

Answer 5

It is really considered a neuro-psychiatric disorder. As much as 50% of people with Tourettes have OCD. Many people with Autism have OCD. The MRI's of those with OCD are usually different. People like to label things and put them in boxes, so call it mentally ill or not it doesn't matter, there is still a physical component to it. There has been a lot of research now on OCD and brain glucose metabolism, just do a search on the internet for the studies, some are trying new drug for that which has been successful as an add on in therapy..

I find it very disheartening that many drs. and therapists know so little about OCD but act like they know so much. Like the "analyst" above saying it is not as serious as other mental illnesses, she is absolutely wrong, there is a scale from mild to severe enough to not function at all in life.

There are cases severe enough to hospitalize people and put them on disability for the rest of their life, so do your on research on the subject, don't just read all these comments here :)

Answer 6

Alright- coming from my expierence having this disorder

It's

1. An anxiety disorder that affects the brain's chemical serotonin

2. So yes, mental illness.

3. Yes we're considererd mentally ill to an extent, someone with clinical depression is considered mentally ill as well..so.

4. There is no cure for anything mentally, of course people with ocd attempt psychosurgery (surgically attempting to modify the affected areas of the brain) and even this fails in a lot of cases...you can stabalize and treat it, like other mental illnesses, not cure it...also by CBT therapy and many other therapies.

Answer 7

OCD is considered a mental illness.

Many mental illnesses do last for a lifetime. However, they can be controlled with treatment. Sometimes the severity of the illness improves over time, some people may go into complete remission, never have symptoms again, and no longer need medication.

There doesn't seem to be any way to predict who will always have symptoms and who will eventually stop having them. You might say it's a matter of luck. However, if the illness is particularly severe, it usually seems to last.

Answer 8

ocd mental illness considered mentally ill life cure ocd

Answer 9

The only reason a person wouldn't be called "mentally ill" because they have OCD is because society wouldn't want to stigmatize someone who has a less severe mental illness. .. but geez, why should we be stigmatizing ANYONE who has a brain disorder? I go ahead and label myself mentally ill here on Yahoo Answers because I am trying to show people that the label itself is so vague that it is stupid and meaningless. (I have bipolar disorder, not OCD)

If you just tell people, "Oh, yes, I'm OCD, I just have to check the locks again, sorry, " "Oops keep talking, I just have to get this patch of dust with my Swiffer, here" that is so close to normal behavior, people can understand. Especially if it is partially controlled thru treatment. My former mother in law made me literally take over 20 minutes arranging the comforter on her bed so it was exactly centered (after she had chemo - she was too sick to do it herself). She apologized and said she was OCD, so I just shrugged it off and said whatever to myself and didn't think she was crazy. To me, that was just her issues. I have my own. She sure had a nice house, tho. It probably wasn't worth it for all her anguish, tho.

Good luck to you for getting treatment!

Answer 10

It depends on the severity of the OCD case. If it is not that severe, the person is not necessarily mentally ill.