Knowra Obsessive–compulsive disorder Obsessive–compulsive disorder A mental disorder involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges and repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce distress or prevent feared outcomes.
Obsessions : Recurrent, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause distress and are difficult to dismiss. They supply the unwanted experiences that often trigger compulsions in OCD.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors : A class of medications that increase serotonin signaling by inhibiting its reuptake into nerve cells. These medicines are commonly used to treat OCD.
Anxiety : A state of apprehension and heightened anticipation of possible threat. Distress and threat anticipation often accompany OCD, though OCD is not simply anxiety.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder : A personality disorder marked by pervasive perfectionism, orderliness, and control, often experienced as consistent with the person’s values. Unlike OCD, its defining traits are not usually intrusive obsessions followed by distress-driven rituals.
Stanley Rachman : A psychologist known for influential research and theories on obsessions, compulsions, and anxiety disorders. His account of intrusive thoughts helped shape cognitive explanations of OCD.
Compulsions : Repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to an obsession or according to rigid rules. They are the rituals that can briefly reduce OCD-related distress.
Clomipramine : A tricyclic antidepressant that strongly inhibits serotonin reuptake and is used to treat OCD. It is an established medication option when treating OCD.
Intrusive thoughts : Unwanted thoughts or images that enter awareness, often repeatedly and with distress. Intrusive thoughts can become obsessions when persistent, distressing, and linked to compulsive responses.
Hoarding disorder : A mental disorder involving persistent difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value. It is classified separately from OCD, although it can involve repetitive saving and distress.
Paul Salkovskis : A clinical psychologist whose cognitive model explains how appraisals of intrusive thoughts can sustain OCD. His model links inflated responsibility and threat appraisal to compulsive responses.
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