Mental health disorders, or mental illness, are considered medical conditions that have a direct impact on someone’s behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. These impacts can vary from mild to moderate and severe. Certain mental illnesses can have significant impacts on one’s ability to work, go to school, maintain relationships, and engage socially.
Learning more about why OCD is a mental illness and its potential impacts on daily functioning can help people decide when to seek OCD treatment.
Is OCD a Mental Illness?
OCD is a mental illness because of the uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviors people engage in when they have this condition. The severity of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) can vary from one person to another and can make it difficult to function.
Obsessions
Obsessions are the uncontrollable, recurring thoughts that occur with OCD. These can include unwanted and intrusive mental images, thoughts, or urges, such as:
- A need for orderliness and symmetry
- Aggressive thoughts toward others or oneself
- Concern over misplacing, losing, or forgetting things
- Worry about losing control over one’s behavior when around others
- Forbidden and taboo thoughts related to harm, sex, or religion
Compulsions
Complusions are the repetitive acts or behaviors one does to address their obsessions. Some examples are:
- Ensuring things are arranged and put in a specific order
- Repeatedly checking that a light is turned off, a door is locked, or the oven is off.
- Excessive handwashing and cleaning to address obsessions about germs
- Hoarding certain items that have no personal meaning or value
- Performing different rituals, such as counting numbers, repeating specific words, or avoiding certain things and situations
Risk Factors and Causes of OCD
Currently, researchers are not entirely certain why people develop OCD. However, there are several underlying risk factors that have been identified that can contribute to developing this mental health disorder, including:
- Childhood trauma: Experiencing trauma, neglect, and abuse can increase the risk of developing OCD.
- Genetics/family history: When there is a history of mental health disorders and OCD in a parent or sibling, it can increase the risk of OCD.
- Brain makeup: People with OCD have variations in their subcortical and frontal cortex brain areas.
- Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PANDAS): PANDAS is a medical disorder related to strep infections in children, which can increase the risk of developing OCD.
- Excessive stress and anxiety: When people are at risk of OCD, being exposed to excessive stress and anxiety could trigger OCD symptoms.
How OCD Impacts Your Life
OCD can impact different areas of your life depending on the severity of this mental health disorder.
- Daily routines and activities: OCD can make it more challenging to perform simple tasks like showering, getting dressed, eating, and cleaning. Due to the unwanted thoughts and compulsions, it takes people with OCD longer to perform their routines and tasks. In some cases, they may not even accomplish the routine or task they set out to do.
- Avoidance: Some people intentionally avoid specific places, situations, and social settings that can trigger their obsessions.
- Distress and exhaustion: The amount of energy spent on managing obsessions and compulsions can cause unwanted distress and wear people out, leaving them exhausted.
- Relationships: OCD causes strain on relationships with family and friends because loved ones do not always understand the impacts OCD has on the individual. Maintaining a relationship is also difficult.
- Isolation and loneliness: Some people feel guilt and shame because of their OCD symptoms, so they withdraw from others, leading to loneliness and isolation.
- Work and school issues: OCD makes it difficult to concentrate on focus on work and school tasks, which can lead to tasks not getting completed. OCD can also cause some people to strive for perfectionism out of a fear of failure, further hindering their productivity. For those with severe OCD, it can make it challenging to find and maintain long-term employment.
Usually, people with OCD have an overall lower quality of life when their obsessions and compulsions take over and they are unable to manage them effectively.
Treatment Options for OCD and Mental Illness
While OCD cannot be cured, there are several viable treatment options available that allow people with this mental illness to lead active and productive lives. Some common treatments include:
- Individual therapy: Psychotherapy helps people identify their obsessions and compulsions in a safe environment.
- CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy): CBT helps people explore their obsessions and compulsions in greater detail and learn helpful techniques and coping skills to manage them effectively.
- TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation): TMS uses magnetic pulses to target the specific brain regions related to OCD. TMS can help reduce intrusive and unwanted thoughts and their related compulsions.
- Group therapy: Group therapy can be beneficial for people with OCD because it allows them to learn more about their condition, learn from their peers, and practice coping skills in a controlled environment.
- Medications: SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are commonly prescribed to help treat OCD. However, it can take several weeks or months before medications start to work. There are also other FDA-approved medications that can be used when SSRIs are not effective.
Contact Montare Behavioral Health to Begin Treatment Today
Montare Behavioral Health offers comprehensive and personalized OCD treatment plans and care levels to help people learn how to manage their mental health condition effectively. Our treatment centers in California and Arizona provide a safe, supportive, and caring environment for you to take the first steps to improved mental health and well-being. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation or to learn more about our OCD treatment program.
Published: 4/15/2025
