Understanding OCD Treatment: What Are Your Options?

It’s a phrase that gets tossed around — a meme-worthy joke about being “a little OCD” when straightening a picture, organizing a bookshelf, or being concerned with cleanliness. “I’m so OCD sometimes” becomes a trite, throwaway remark, almost out of obligation to explain away an innocuous preference for being tidy and fastidious.

Such comments only serve to downplay and minimize the severity of the condition. In truth, obsessive-compulsive disorder extends beyond the stereotypes and shorthand we may hear from others and sometimes even from ourselves. OCD can become a negative, unwanted focal point in the lives of its sufferers, often leading to feelings of shame, embarrassment and frustration. 

OCD is considered a chronic condition with symptoms that can come and go, but it is treatable and manageable. Keep reading to explore how OCD treatment can benefit you or a loved one.  

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?  

There are two parts to obsessive-compulsive disorder, abbreviated as OCD: obsessions and compulsions, which both go hand in hand. 

A person with OCD will have distressing obsessions, uncontrollable, persistent, undesirable, and negative thoughts and urges. To try and rid themselves of these obsessions, they’ll respond with compulsions, repetitive mental acts or physical behaviors you feel driven to perform — so time-consuming that they can interfere with your day-to-day functioning and social interactions and take up hours of your day, leaving you feeling trapped by routines or fears that don’t always make sense to anyone else. 

“Obsessions in OCD are unwanted, and people with OCD don’t enjoy performing compulsive behaviors,” notes the Cleveland Clinic.  

OCD is more common than we may think. About one in 40 adults will develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) sometime in their lives — nearly 8.2 million adults, according to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). About 1.6% to 2.3% of people currently live with OCD. Past-year OCD is more prevalent in females than men (1.8% to 0.5%, respectively), according to the National Institute of Mental Health.  

The average age of onset for OCD is between one’s late teens and early 20s, and about half of sufferers will begin experiencing symptoms during early childhood and adolescence (between the ages of 7 and 12. The Cleveland Clinic notes that it’s uncommon to develop OCD past the age of 40, even though it can appear at any point. 

The cause of OCD is unclear, but research has shown that genetics, family history, abnormal neurochemistry and one’s environment can all be contributing factors. Childhood trauma may also play a role. 

OCD can also co-occur with other mental health conditions (when two or more conditions exist in a person simultaneously), like anxiety, depressive disorders, and bipolar disorders, among others.   

Common Misconceptions About OCD  

OCD is surrounded by a wealth of myths and misunderstandings, painting it in an insensitive light. Inaccurate portrayals in the media, movies, TV shows, and commercials — along with a casual misuse of the term — only fuel the false belief that OCD is something comical to be laughed at while diminishing its seriousness.   

This can create a cultural and personal cognitive dissonance surrounding OCD.   

“When there are so many incorrect stereotypes about OCD, it can be harder for those of us with OCD to recognize the symptoms in ourselves,” says mental health advocacy group Mind. “And it may make it harder to explain our experiences to others.” 

We’ve looked briefly at what OCD is. Debunking the misconceptions highlights what it isn’t:  

• Myth: OCD is just about being organized, neat, and clean. A fear of germs and contamination is one of OCD’s obsessive symptoms, and frequent cleaning (including hand washing) is often a compulsive response of a person with OCD. But the condition goes far beyond a desire to be orderly. One’s obsessions can invade their psyche and verge into dangerous territory, including having fears about harming others, losing control of one’s actions, preoccupation with religious or sexual themes, or a constant need for symmetry. The IOCDF says that to lessen their anxiety, responses can include compulsive checking, counting, repeating actions, or seeking reassurance from others, creating an often-vicious cycle that is near impossible to break without psychotherapy for OCD. 

• Myth: Everyone is a “little OCD” sometimes. While it’s true that we can all display occasional intrusive thoughts, we might home in on or become overzealous in repeating certain behaviors. “I’m just a bit OCD” trivializes the gravity of what people diagnosed with OCD live through each day. “OCD is not a personality quirk or a character trait — it is a very real mental health condition,” says the IOCDF. It illustrates how people with OCD are not overreacting or being attention-seeking, but living with an illness they can’t help, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors they can’t stop. 

• Myth: People with OCD can just turn it off whenever they want. It’s an errant misbelief that wrongly frames OCD as a personal failing or lack of self-control — which no mental health condition is. It’s a neurological condition, not an overreaction to stress. Compulsions are not things a person wants to do but rituals they feel they must do to get relief from anxiety. Overcoming OCD is not as simple as snapping out of it, says the IOCDF. “People who are diagnosed with OCD cannot simply ‘turn it off.’ Research has shown that their brains are wired differently than the brains of people without OCD, and as such, OCD strongly influences their thoughts and actions.” 

• Myth: Perfectionism, intense hobbies, or impulse-control issues are the same as OCD. “Obsessive” and “compulsive” are sometimes used to describe behaviors that aren’t OCD. A key difference is the motivation. You might be “obsessed” with hobbies like collecting stamps or being a devoted sports fan, but these bring pleasure and enjoyment. In contrast, OCD compulsions are unwanted. Likewise, conditions like compulsive gambling or shopping are related to impulse control, not OCD. This also differs from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), where a person is fixated on perfectionism and control but sees their behavior as correct and rational. People with OCD, by contrast, are tormented by their condition and desperately want the intrusive thoughts and subsequent compulsive reactions to stop. 

• Myth: There’s no hope of recovery from OCD. One of the most discouraging misconceptions — and one of the most harmful — about OCD is that it’s a condition that can’t be treated. Crazy or neurotic, says the IOCDF, are common labels assigned to sufferers meant to stigmatize OCD and “can lead to feelings of hopelessness and prevent you from seeking help.” But the IOCDF stresses that various forms of OCD treatment go a long way to helping people manage symptoms effectively, along with the support of family and friends.