OCD Symptoms – Do They Mean You Have OCD?

OCD symptoms are experienced by 2 in every 50 adult Americans at least once in their lives. But only one in every 50 adult Americans is actually diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. So the disorder doesn't necessarily follow even if you experience OCD symptoms.

OCD Symptoms – What Else Can They Mean?
OCD symptoms may not be diagnosed immediately (or at all) when they are accompanied by other disorders.

Studies estimate that obsessive compulsive disorder affects around 2.2 million adult Americans. However, when OCD symptoms are observed, they may be associated with other kinds of anxiety disorders.

For instance, OCD symptoms may be related to the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of a patient who went through a nighttime fire caused by a gas leak. The patient may feel driven to turn the oven knobs on and off several times before sleeping.

But if the OCD symptom is part of a PTSD diagnosis, the patient is treated for PTSD not OCD. How can you tell which disorder you or a loved one has?

One indicator could be that the OCD symptom mentioned above is accompanied by imagined nighttime feelings of smelling a gas leak, the temperature in the house going up, smelling smoke, or hearing the crackling of fire.

Treatments may be similar to a certain extent as both PTSD and OCD are types of anxiety disorders.

OCD symptoms have also been known to accompany depression and even eating disorders.

OCD Symptoms – Who Usually Experiences Them?
OCD symptoms show no gender bias and afflict both males and females in almost equal numbers. However, there's an age bias as symptoms usually begin to appear during childhood to early adulthood.

A third of adult patients start showing OCD symptoms while they're children. Some studies indicate that the disorder may run in families.

OCD Symptoms – How Are They Experienced?
Symptoms may vary in severity and/or frequency over time. They sometimes weigh heavily on the side of obsessions, sometimes compulsions, or both. The statistical breakdown:

Compulsions only = 10%

Obsessions only = 20%

Both = 70%

Scientists explain the 70% figure as the brain using the compulsion as a coping mechanism to manage, neutralize, or dismiss the obsession.

OCD Symptoms – Examples of Obsessions & Compulsions Here's how obsession is related to compulsion as cause and effect.

Obsession: Fear of dirt/germs

Compulsion: Repeated/excessive washing of hands

Obsession: Fear of intruders

Compulsion: Repeated locking and unlocking of doors

Obsession: Fear of an earthquake or other disaster

Compulsion: Hoarding an unreasonable amount of tinned food

Obsession: Fear of social embarrassment

Compulsion: Repeated/excessive hair combing