Why Can't I Stop? OCD is an illness, not a character flaw or sign of weakness. It can't be overcome simply through willpower, just as one cannot overcome asthma or diabetes by merely willing it away. If people tell you to just “STOP IT!” they don't understand that you can't stop by yourself.
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms generally wax and wane over time. Because of this, many individuals diagnosed with OCD may suspect that their OCD comes and goes or even goes away—only to return. However, as mentioned above, obsessive-compulsive traits never truly go away. Instead, they require ongoing management.
Compulsions are considered a coping mechanism, which neutralize anxiety or reduce the likelihood that these fears will be realized.
Active “ignoring” can trigger an additional sense of being in denial (and thus more anxiety). It can quickly devolve into a habit of “white-knuckling” through life, which is unsustainable.
The bulk of the problems occurring within your OCD come from you. The main reason that compulsions seem so hard to stop is because you have rehearsed them so often that they have become very automatic habits that are easy to do without thinking. You get good at things you rehearse a lot.
Research into the connection between OCD and trauma has found that OCD can arise not only from the events that are broadly considered to be traumatic, but also from such events that are experienced as traumatic, within the context of the individual's own perspective.
The onset of OCD is not limited to the original meaning of trauma; rather, traumatic experiences such as unexpected exposure to contaminants or various stressful life events often cause the onset of OCD.
Trauma, stress, and abuse all can be a cause of OCD getting worse. OCD causes intense urges to complete a task or perform a ritual. For those who have the condition, obsessions and compulsions can begin to rule their life.
Speaking from experience, I would say that the average uncomplicated case of OCD takes from about six to twelve months to be successfully completed. If symptoms are severe, if the person works at a slow pace, or if other problems are also present, it can take longer.
People with severe OCD have obsessions with cleanliness and germs — washing their hands, taking showers, or cleaning their homes for hours a day. Sometimes they're afraid to leave home for fear of contamination.
Expected Duration/Prognosis: While OCD can be lifelong, the prognosis is better in children and young adults. Among these individuals, 40% recover entirely by adulthood. Most people with OCD have a marked improvement in symptoms with therapy while only 1 in 5 resolve without treatment.
Symptoms fluctuate in severity from time to time, and this fluctuation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events. Because symptoms usually worsen with age, people may have difficulty remembering when OCD began, but can sometimes recall when they first noticed that the symptoms were disrupting their lives.
People with OCD consistently report that change of any kind, even positive change can be experienced as stressful. It is often during these times that OC symptoms tend to flare up; however, you can help to moderate stress by modifying your expectations during these times of transition.
OCD is due to genetic and hereditary factors. Chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain are the cause. Distorted beliefs reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.
Ongoing anxiety or stress, or being part of a stressful event like a car accident or starting a new job, could trigger OCD or make it worse. Pregnancy or giving birth can sometimes trigger perinatal OCD.
It's unlikely that OCD can actually cause schizophrenia to develop. But while OCD doesn't necessarily cause schizophrenia, it can come with higher chances of experiencing it than people without OCD.
Studies have shown that domestic violence is as- sociated with mental disorders such as anxiety and OCD. Furthermore, psychiatric disorders can contribute to the occurrence of violence against women (21-24).
Two putative environmental risk factors for OCD are maladaptive parenting and stressful life events [2]. OCD is associated with maladaptive parenting, particularly overprotection and rejection [[2], [3], [4]].
Other studies reported that psychotic symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders are more common in OCD patients than in the rest of population (Bortolon & Raffard, 2015; Eisen & Rasmussen, 1993).
Presentation. Primarily obsessional OCD has been called "one of the most distressing and challenging forms of OCD."
OCD attacks the very things that we value and care the most about. It attacks the core of our identities. That's what makes it so compelling. People who do not live with OCD can have the very same thoughts, images, and urges, and yet they are mostly unphased by them.