There are many subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder including: violent, schizo, racism, Tourette, social, sexual, time and finally refractory OCD. I’ll also talk about Yale Brown OCD which is a diagnostic tool that assesses the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients.
Some of the common obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder includes fears of contamination, doubts about one’s safety or morality, and an excessive need for balance. Compulsions often involve repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, checking, or counting. People with this disorder may also experience other mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Yale Brown OCD
Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is a diagnostic tool that clinicians use to assess the severity of OCD symptoms in patients. The Y-BOCS is a standardized questionnaire. It rates the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on a scale of 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. The scale comprises two sections: the obsessions scale and the compulsions scale.
The obsessions scale measures the individual’s frequency and severity of obsessive thoughts. This may include fear of contamination, aggressive impulses, and obsessive doubts. The compulsions scale evaluates the frequency and severity of compulsive behaviors. This may include repetitive hand washing, checking behaviors, and compulsive counting.
Types Of Compulsions
There are many different types of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder groups such as:
Time OCD
Time OCD, also known as “clock checking” or “clock watching,” is a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It involves obsessive concern with time management and excessive checking of clocks and watches. Individuals with time OCD experience overwhelming anxiety and fear of being late, missing appointments, or not finishing tasks on time. This leads them to constantly check the time, sometimes for hours at a time. It doesn’t matter whether they are running late or not.
People with time OCD may also engage in routine behaviors to help manage their anxiety. They might set multiple alarms for the same event, arriving hours early to appointments. The may also feel compelled to repeatedly check the time even when it interferes with daily activities.
Refractory OCDRefractory OCD, also called treatment-resistant OCD, is a severe form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that is resistant to conventional treatments. Individuals with refractory OCD experience persistent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). Sometimes a person does not respond to typical or standard forms of treatment, such as medication and psychotherapy.
People with refractory OCD may continue to experience severe symptoms despite undergoing multiple rounds of therapy or trying various medications. The condition can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life, causing chronic anxiety, depression, and reduced functioning.
Sexual Obsessive Compulsive DisorderIndividuals with sexual OCD may experience intense feelings of guilt, shame, or disgust towards themselves. This could trigger compulsive behaviors. This may include excessive checking, seeking reassurance, avoiding specific people, or engaging in repetitive behaviors related to sexuality.
Examples of sexual obsessions that individuals with sexual OCD might experience include fear of being a pedophile orfear of being a sexual predator. Also, fear of being gay/lesbian when an individual is not. Such thoughts and images can be extremely distressing, leading to severe anxiety, depression, and reduced functioning.
Social OCDIndividuals with social OCD have excessive and irrational fear of social humiliation. Also, they tend to avoid or endure social interactions, leading to reduced functioning in social, work, or personal settings.
People with Social OCD may experience a wide range of symptoms. This may include blushing, sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, or panic attacks, when confronted with social situations. They may also experience intense fear of being judged, criticized, or rejected by others. Therefore, this can lead to to self-blame, shame, and negative self-evaluation.
Tourette OCD
Tourette OCD, also known as Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) dual diagnosis, is a neuropsychiatric condition. It may involve repetitive, involuntary movements or vocal tics, together with the experience of obsessive and compulsive symptoms of OCD.
Tourette’s syndrome is a genetic neurological condition identified by tics. They usually begin in childhood and often accompanied by existing together conditions such as ADHD and OCD. Individuals with this may experience both motor and vocal tics. This may include eye blinking, throat clearing, or involuntary swearing or repeating words.
The event of OCD in individuals with Tourette’s syndrome is relatively high. Half or more of Tourette’s syndrome patients are estimated to have OCD. The symptoms in individuals with Tourette’s syndrome typically clear as repetitive behaviors or thoughts. These can relate to contamination, balance, aggressive or intrusive thoughts, or other obsessions that come with distress.
Schizo OCDThe presence of OCD symptoms in a person with schizophrenia is sometimes called “schizo-obsessive disorder” or “schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive features”. It is classified as a subtype of schizophrenia where the individual experiences both symptoms of schizophrenia and OCD.
Schizo-obsessive disorder can be difficult to diagnose as it is often challenging to distinguish between the obsessions and compulsions of OCD and the delusions and compulsions of schizophrenia.
Violent OCDViolent OCD, also known as Harm OCD or aggressive obsessions, is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by unwanted, intrusive, and distressing thoughts, images, or impulses of causing violence, harm, or aggression to oneself or others.
People with violent OCD often experience intense anxiety, guilt, or shame associated with their intrusive thoughts and may engage in compulsive behaviors or mental rituals to prevent the feared outcome or to relieve their anxiety. These rituals may include checking, seeking reassurance, avoidance, or mental urges such as mental prayer or counting.
Racism OCDRacism OCD, also known as racial obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD), is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) described by intrusive and unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses related to race.
People with ROCD may experience repetitive and troubling thoughts that are not aligned with their beliefs or values, such as fears of being racist, images of hurting people of a specific race, or intrusive thoughts about racial slurs or stereotypes. These thoughts may lead to significant anxiety, guilt, or shame, and individuals may engage in compulsive behaviors or mental rituals to counteract or prevent these thoughts.
These rituals may include seeking support from others, avoiding situations where they might have to confront their thoughts, or constantly monitoring their thoughts and behaviors.
Conclusion
Some of the common obsessions in OCD include fears of contamination, doubts about one’s safety or morality, and an excessive need for balance or order. Compulsions often involve repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, checking, or counting. People with OCD may also experience other mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
OCD is a treatable condition, and treatment usually involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapy for OCD.
Articles
-What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? What Are the Symptoms of OCD? Here’s How It Works
-How To Break The Cycle Of Obsessive Thoughts
https://psychcentral.com/ocd/ocd-cycle#how-to-break-the-cycle
-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy, One Voice – Unstoppable
“You’re not alone!”
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