Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects about one in every 50 men and women. This means that in the UK there are about 1 million people who have experienced OCD at some point.Some of the most well known people who have suffered with OCD include:
- David Beckman
- Alec Baldwin
- Howard Hughes
- Paul Gascoigne
- Michelle Pfeiffer
What is OCD?OCD is a common and distressing anxiety disorder characterised by recurrent obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted images, thoughts and ideas which cause anxiety and distress. Compulsions are thoughts or behaviours which aim to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessional thoughts.
This can lead to endless hours of rituals of washing, checking, and/or counting in order to alleviate the anxiety. This in turn can lead to more anxiety and so the circle propounds itself.Most OCD sufferers fear that harm of some kind will come either to themselves or to those they love, or in some cases, even to strangers. They think that, by performing their rituals, harm can be evaded or lessened.
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