OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
OCD, is characterised by a group of behavioural disturbances but also by a distinct underlying inappropriate anxiety.
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), is caused when the anxiety repsonse gives rise to the 'what if' risk assessment thoughts that developed, in humans, to locate, analyse and respond to any potential risk. In high anxiety conditions in which the anxiety response (flight or fight) gets locked on, no TRUE risk is present. The 'what if' thoughts can then form a connection with ANYTHING within the sufferer's environment. Normal and appropriate risks, like contamination, turning lights or the gas off and other such daily concerns, can often, by default, become the subjects of a sufferer's obsessive focus, but sometimes it can be other things such as people, obscure objects and even physical attributes.
Once the 'risk' has been identified, it becomes embellished by the sufferer's creative intellect and once this anxious cycle is established, it self perpetuates. So, it is easy to see how the 'what if thoughts' of the anxiety response can develop into anxious obsessions from health, sexuality, religion, aggression, sexual thoughts, contamination, switching things off to cleaning and many, many others.
OCD sufferers tend to carry out rituals or compulsions fuelled by their fear that not carrying them out will result in a 'catastrophic' outcome.
OCD sufferers feel that carrying out their compulsions will somehow prevent something bad from occurring and so their compulsions become part of their daily routines; they know that their behaviour is inappropriate but feel unable to change.
The anxiety which fuels OCD can present itself in other ways, for example, panic attacks, phobias or agoraphobia for example. By eliminating the underlying anxiety, which is the cause of OCD, the sufferer can quickly be released from their compulsions.