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Hapiehed here. A few days ago I was reading the Teen People
March 2003 issue, and I noticed an article that caught my interest. It was about
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a disorder that many people have not heard of,
and I have only heard of once before.
OCD is not a very common condition. I used to think that people with OCD were
basically crazy, and they had to wash their hands 5 times a day, always check
that the stove is off, and only get things in even numbers. I was completely
wrong. There are many symptoms of OCD, only some of which I will list below.
Obsessing over things is a very noticible symptom. People with OCD not only
obsess over the things I have listed above, but many imagine faces in windows,
imagine that banging sounds are coming from someone knocking at the walls, and
always have to have their back against something to feel safe. This is one of
the main reasons many people have not asked their doctor if they have OCD. They
feel embarassed, think they have an active imagination, or just think thoughts
like this are normal.
Another effect OCD has on people's lives is filling them with compulsions. These can be very, very stressful. Compulsions make the person with OCD
suddenly feel for no reason at all like throwing things, breaking something, or
hitting someone. Holding these in can often give a person a horrible headache.
There is not yet a treatment found for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but there
are certain specialists who give therapy sessions to help calm the person down.
People with OCD are not crazy, and though "funny" comments about OCD can seem
funny, they can be very hurtful.
Hapiehed, over and out.
Author's Note: If you think you may have OCD, you shouldn't ignore it. Take
an online test. Teen People magazine recommends the one at
www.adaa.org.
Take the results to your doctor, or at the very least show them to your parents.
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