Common obsessions include concerns about germs and contamination, doubts (“Did I turn the water off?”), order and symmetry (“I need all the spoons in the tray to be arranged a certain way”), aggression and violence (such as fears of accidentally harming a loved one), somatic or bodily concerns, and sex. Rather, obsessions are characterized as persistent, unintentional, and unwanted thoughts and urges that are highly intrusive, unpleasant, and distressing (“Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder”, 2012). Obsessions are more than just unwanted thoughts that seem to randomly jump into our head from time to time, and they are more significant than day-to-day worries we might have, such as justifiable concerns about being laid off from a job. People with this disorder might, for example, spend hours each day washing their hands or constantly checking and rechecking to make sure that stoves, faucets, or lights have been turned off. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience thoughts and urges that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). Included in this category are obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder, and hoarding disorder. However, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders elevate the unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors to a status so intense that these cognitions and activities disrupt daily life. Many of us experience unwanted thoughts from time to time (e.g., craving double cheeseburgers when dieting), and many of us engage in repetitive behaviors on occasion (e.g., pacing when nervous). Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders are a group of overlapping disorders that generally involve intrusive, unpleasant thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
12.5 Obsessive Learning Objectivesīy the end of this section, you will be able to: Get people with _ disorders experience thoughts and urges that are intrusive and unwanted and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts.