What is OCD? What are the 7 types of OCD

When you hear someone claim, “I am OCD," your first reaction is generally, “They must be obsessed with cleanliness.” OCD’s full form is obsessive-compulsive disorder, which has so many connotations attached to it, but most of them might not be clinically accurate. OCD’s meaning differ across cultures too. But what is OCD and what causes it? Let’s find out.

What is OCD?

To put it plainly, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterised by primarily two symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions, at a colloquial level, may appear to be widespread. OCD is not a disease but a mental illness that can be treated. When you are binge-watching a TV show, it is easy to obsess over a certain character. However, psychologists may beg to differ on this stance. Symptoms of OCD are given below:

In a strictly clinical context, obsessions manifest as persistent, intrusive, and unpleasant thoughts, ideas, or images that have the potential to cause distress or anxiety. If you've ever had a tough time controlling or dispelling a thought, it may turn into an obsession. 

When a person is overcome with this anxiety, they engage in repetitive behaviour called compulsions in a bid to deal with the anxiety. It's also worth noting that, despite many attempts, obsessions and compulsions are both difficult to control, which adds to the distress. Washing hands is one of the most prevalent compulsive behaviors that you may have seen, yet it is only one of several compulsions that emerge from obsessive thoughts affecting people with OCD. OCD can disrupt one’s social and occupational areas of life.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has many different types, each with its own set of thoughts and compulsive behaviors. 

What are the 7 types of OCD

A  person with Harm OCD has thoughts of harming, poisoning or killing someone. They may resort to safety behaviours such as avoiding the concerned person altogether or hiding lethal weapons, as they might find it difficult to distinguish between their thoughts and actions.

Contamination is the most frequent type of OCD, in which a person has a fear of being polluted, dirty, or diseased, leading to washing compulsions. They may have a fear that touching a certain object or a person might contaminate them and, further, make them sick. To deal with such thoughts, they tend to engage in compulsive behaviour such as washing themselves, avoiding touching anything with bare hands, or double-checking.

Especially common in India is scrupulosity, wherein the person experiences pathological guilt or obsession with moral or religious issues. What is interesting to note here is how their disabling confusion can culminate in them trying to actively resolve their relationship with their god. An example of this could be confessing to their wrongdoings to multiple authorities to relieve themselves of their guilt.

Symmetry or Ordering OCD is another prevalent type in which the person has an overwhelming urge to set things in order or maintain them in alignment. They have a continual chorus in their heads that says "this is not right," which can make it difficult for them to operate functionally. They resort to compulsive behaviours such as rewriting a certain paragraph until it has no flaws or adjusting a certain chair to an angle that satisfies their mind.

Sexual obsessions manifest in forbidden sexual thoughts, images, or even impulses to engage in inappropriate sexual acts with other people or children. It is important to note that this, in no way, points to paedophilia. What distinguishes people with these obsessions is the very fact that they have disturbing images and thoughts of such people in sexualized contexts. To cope with this, they engage in healthy interactions with such people (or children) so that they can review them in retrospect to check if anything was indeed sexually inappropriate or not.

Somatic obsessions relate mostly to bodily experiences or being excessively preoccupied with bodily concerns, almost believing that one has a serious illness. Such clients seek constant reassurance from experts or people around them, as well as ask them if they notice anything different about them.

Pure obsessional OCD is a subtype of OCD in which the person may experience obsessions at any moment but does not have clear compulsions. It is vital to remember, however, that some people may engage in avoidance behaviors to cope, but they might not always translate into compulsive acts.

OCD may appear frightening, but it’s important to remember that it is rooted in different causes. Having said that, it is treatable and there are a variety of treatment modalities to address its symptoms. 

As OCD can manifest in various forms, it is no wonder that the term is used more lightly than it should be. Being informed about a mental illness is instrumental in providing appropriate treatment at the appropriate time.