The symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which frequently come to the mind of the person and create feelings of inner distress, guilt and shame, negatively affect their life flow and their relationships with the people around them. Noting that the most common obsessions are related to cleanliness, experts say that these concerns trigger obsessive behaviors and patients may face severe depression in the absence of treatment.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Clinical Psychologist Sera Elbaşoğlu stated that obsessions such as symmetry, order and cleanliness, which are described as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, significantly affect the patient's life and should be intervened.
Obsession with cleanliness is triggered in public areas
Clinical Psychologist Sera Elbaşoğlu said, "These concerns, which are very diverse, often come to the patient's mind frequently and involuntarily about cleanliness. They can be triggered more frequently in public places, public toilets, public transportation vehicles. At the same time, depending on the level at which the person experiences obsessions, it can happen anywhere."
Excessive obsessions damage human relationships
Stating that control compulsion obsessions, like obsessions, are also quite common, Elbaşoğlu said, "When the patient goes out, he/she obsessively asks himself/herself whether he/she closes objects such as the house door, gas, iron, window. We can say that feeling that everything must be in order and symmetrical is also an obsession. In these obsessions about order, symmetry and cleanliness, people sometimes lose their social judgment and feel obliged to intervene in other people's homes or spaces."
They don't let him in the house because of his obsession with cleanliness
Elbaşoğlu continued his words as follows: "For example, they go to their mother's house and try to wash and organize the objects they think are dirty, they try to organize their desk in their friend's office, or they see a crooked painting on a wall, they want to fix it and fix it. These obsessions, obsessions and compulsions are especially damaging to people's family relationships, their relationships with their children and their spouses. They make sure that all the objects around them are in an orderly arrangement, that the inside of the cupboards or on the table in a space are extremely tidy. A person who is obsessed with cleanliness may not let the whole household in when they come home, but have them take off their clothes in one area and carry them directly to the bathroom. If their children have left their books lying around, this disorganization can lead to big arguments. In fact, a person who is actually quite calm can have conflicts in relationships in moments of disorganization when obsessions are involved. The whole family can suffer from this situation."
Virtual fears lead to anxiety
Clinical Psychologist Sera Elbaşoğlu stated that in addition to patients experiencing intense distress in case of disorder, obsessions about religion, sexuality and harm are also experienced. Elbaşoğlu listed the examples as follows: "They constantly experience fears such as whether I will harm my child, the person knows that they will not do these things, but they still feel fear as if they will do it. This is the nature of these types of fears, the person knows that they are not real, but on the other hand, they believe in them as if they were real and feel anxiety. Compulsions are certain behaviors that the person feels obliged to do. If they do not complete these behaviors, they feel uneasy, distressed, they feel obliged to complete them. For example, if one thinks that one's hands are dirty - and we're not just talking about actual dirtiness - one still feels the need to wash them because of pressure from within. It is really difficult for people to resist this urge. There are repeated washings, there are long washings. Sometimes there are cases of washing things. There are also cases of people who try to wash bread, cell phones or constantly wipe them because they think they are dirty."
Obsessions that start as a child may not be recognized
Stating that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is seen in children as well as in adults, Elbaşoğlu said, "If the obsessions that start in children are obsessions, but they do not have behaviors that serve them and are only in the form of mental thoughts, they may not be understood by their parents. When we talk to adult patients retrospectively about when it started, we can diagnose that it started in childhood. Sometimes, just like in childhood, obsessions may not be recognized in adulthood and may be triggered and increased with stress and anxiety in adulthood. Obsessions, obsessions and compulsions increase as we exhibit these behaviors or avoid things that remind us of these obsessions in case obsessive thoughts come. For example, anxiety and obsessions about public toilets increase as long as you think that public toilets are dirty, I will get dirty there and do not enter public toilets or wash and clean too much when you come home after entering the public toilet."
Patient relatives should not serve obsessions
Clinical Psychologist Sera Elbaşoğlu said, "Usually people find it difficult to resist these obsessions and compulsions. Therefore, we can say that it is not a disorder that they can handle without support. Patients also need to make an effort in OCD therapy and treatment. If these obsessions have reached the level that we characterize as a disease, they cannot be handled without support. We use a combination of methods such as drug therapy, psychotherapy, Transmanyetic Stimulation Therapy (TMT) to eliminate this disorder. Some patients adapt to this situation too much and as they clean and maintain order in their environment, they may express that they feel relieved and that there is no problem for them. But it is essential to convince them somehow and take them to a doctor. We work with patients' relatives on how they should behave. Relatives should not behave in a way that serves the patients' obsessions. For example, the patient's requests such as 'watch me while I wash my hands, I can't be sure, you control it' should not be accepted, even if you think it is for the good of the patient, because when you do what they want, obsessions increase."
Leads to depression if left untreated
Noting that if the treatment process is delayed, patients are dragged into severe depression, Elbaşoğlu said, "Depression is one of the most common disorders we see. The person may think that he/she cannot get rid of these obsessions and behaviors, that obsessions and compulsions are increasing, that the flow of life is inevitably disrupted, and may drift into depression with intense feelings of helplessness and unhappiness. Depression is a common and common disorder. It can be accompanied by other anxiety disorders. Depression is frequently accompanied by hopelessness and pessimism."
