Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also well know as obsessive-compulsive neurosis, is characterized by the development of obsessive thoughts, memories, movements, and actions, as well as a variety of pathological fears and phobias.

Most often, patients are aware of their “oddities”, but cannot cope with them on their own. At the same time, they experience discomfort, distress, stress, pathological fears, anxiety, and mental and physical performance decreases.
Obsessive-compulsive disorders can be chronic, progressive, or episodic.

ICD-10 classification of obsessive-compulsive disorders

• Mostly obsessive thoughts or reflections are obsessions.
• Mostly compulsive acts are obsessive rituals.
• Mixed obsessions and actions.
• Other obsessive-compulsive disorders.
• Unidentified obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Symptoms and signs

• Superstition, special and excessive attention to something.
• Obsessive, recurring thoughts.
• Anxiety following these thoughts.
• Defined and frequently repeated actions of the same type to eliminate anxiety.
• Fear of contamination or contamination.
• Fear of harming oneself or others.
• Sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images.
• Religious or moral ideas.
• Fear of losing or not having some items.
• Order and symmetry: the idea that everything should be arranged “right”.

Performing these actions and rituals at the initial stages temporarily relieves their condition. But in the future, ritual rituals cease to help, and the sick come up with new symbolic rituals. With further complications, there is a tendency to faith, religions, to non-traditional methods of treatment. Patients experience restrictions on communication in society, which patients perceive as useless and meaningless.

With careful study, you can always find the advantage of obsessive thoughts, reflections – “mental gum” over compulsive, obsessive rituals and actions. In the absence of timely assistance, the condition of patients worsens and a mixture of obsessive thoughts, actions and other obsessive-compulsive disorders can be observed.

For example, the patient has obsessive fears of getting infected and he stopped using public transport. Another patient always carried cotton wool and alcohol with him. When he opened the doors, he immediately disinfected his hands with alcohol. The third patient used only his own dishes and always carried them with him.

Outwardly, such patients, more often with a hypotrophic physique, are neat, sensitive, careful, first of all, they are loyal allies of doctors, especially those who understand them, first of all, experienced psychotherapists. At the same time, they are a difficult contingent for specialists, they can clearly follow the prescriptions of doctors, but over the years they have their own rational approaches to their condition.