Rational Fear Or Signs Of OCD?

Obsessive compulsive disorder or ocd is a form of anxiety disorder that is often misunderstood or overlooked.  For sufferers of this disorder, however, the symptoms can be overwhelming and devastating.  If someone suspects that he/she has this disorder there are some common signs of ocd that can be a good indicator.

Common Signs of OCD
   
One very common sign of ocd is the feeling that items cannot be washed enough to rid them of germs.  A sufferer may feel as though people or objects are contaminated and, therefore, cannot be touched.  He/she may shower obsessively or scrub his/her hands repeatedly until they are raw.  As you might imagine, this form of ocd can cause the sufferer to shut himself off from the rest of the world in order to avoid contact with the objects of his fears.

Another one of the signs of ocd is hoarding.  A person with this type of ocd will feel an unnatural attachment to items or an overwhelming fear of losing an important object.  He may be unable to get rid of anything for fear that it may be needed at a later date.  A subject may even go so far as to repeatedly check the garbage to be certain that nothing important is being thrown out. 

Ocd patients are regularly gripped by the fear that something bad is going to happen and often perform rituals or superstitious practices in an attempt to counteract the negative event.  Some will repeat patterns in their minds; others will ask repetitive questions or utter words or phrases aver and over.  The belief that certain objects, colors or numbers are lucky or unlucky is also one of the very common signs of ocd.

Repeatedly checking that things are in order or that items are just so is also often a sign.  People with this form of the disorder will constantly check that doors are locked and the stove is turned off.  They will be aware that they have already verified these things, but will feel compelled to check again and again.  Also they may become obsessed with arranging items in a certain order or aligning objects in a row or symmetrical pattern.

Some people with ocd simply cannot get irrational fears out of their minds.  There is the ever present dread that a horrible event is looming over themselves or their loved ones.  They may even feel that they are the ones that will cause harm to someone else and because of this, cut off contact with the outside world.

These are just some of the most common signs of ocd.  There are many other variations of these signs and they should be assessed by a medical professional in order to make a proper diagnosis.  It is important to keep in mind that everyone has occasional fears and that experiencing one of these symptoms occasionally does not necessarily mean that a person has ocd.