How to Recognize and Help Someone Suffering from OCD

It is imperative that you understand the signs and symptoms of OCD to help those around you. It will allow you to communicate and encourage treatment. Here are a few tips:

• Unhealthy preoccupation with details. The majority of individuals are big-picture people. That means overarching issues far surpass the importance of minor details. However, for those with OCD, the opposite is true. The tiny details, rules, and specifications are the important part. If you notice a loved one spends far too much time worrying about, contemplating, or dealing with tiny details, it could be a sign of OCD.
• The need for perfection. There is nothing wrong with wanting and expecting good results, but when unrealistic pursuits of perfection become the main goal, something is wrong. People who suffer from OCD often seek perfection to the point that it interferes with normal functioning and everyday tasks.
• A lack of flexibility. Individuals with OCD are often rigid and set in their ways. When something doesn’t align with how they prefer, they will not adjust to meet rising challenges – under any circumstances. Sufferers of OCD often pursue “their way” even when it’s harmful to their physical or emotional health.
• Constant checking. People with OCD often exhibit signs of constant checking and repeated actions. For example, an individual may retie his or her shoelaces every five minutes. This is a sign of an obsessive thought matched with a compulsive need to relieve a certain anxiety.
• Fear of change. Because many sufferers of OCD are set in their ways, altering plans or routines can be a major issue. They often fear change and spend time constantly checking to ensure everything is in the same place and arranged a certain way.