Types of OCD | Guide to understanding OCD types

What are the four types of OCD?

The different types of OCD include:

• Aggressive or sexual thoughts
• Harm to loved ones
• Germs and contamination
• Doubt and incompleteness

Types of OCD and its Symptoms

Although all forms of OCD have symptoms in common, how they present themselves in daily life differs immensely from person to person. The content of a person's obsessions isn't eventually the critical part. Still, it's what feels essential to further our understanding. We also need to understand OCD causes, OCD triggers, OCD stages, and more. But, subtypes for now:

The subtype is just the particular way their OCD affects the person. What does the mind concentrate on, and what thoughts result from this preoccupation? These subtypes are moderately stable, though new symptoms can appear and old ones might fade. Clinicians call a condition like OCD heterogeneous because it varies so much from one person to another. 

What are the different types of obsessions and compulsions?

There are different types of obsessions and compulsions that affect a person. Different types of obsessions include:

• Perfectionism
• Relational
• Contamination
• Causing Harm
• Intrusive Thoughts

The different types of compulsions include:

• Washing and cleaning
• Checking
• Repeating
• Mental Compulsions

What are some common OCD subtypes?

However, a few common "clusters" of symptoms have been identified.

Harm obsessions with checking compulsions

‍The obsession with preventing potential harm leads to a compulsion to check. Checking is often carried out multiple times, sometimes hundreds of times, and might last for an hour or even longer, causing a substantial effect on the person's life, resulting in being late for school, work, social occasions, and other appointments. 

Contamination Obsessions

Fear of things that might be dirty or a compulsion to clean. People with OCD who experience fears about contamination worry that they've become contaminated with germs or disease by physically touching something they believe to be dirty. People who face mental contamination obsessions, on the other hand, worry that they've had some sort of contact – speaking to a specific individual or having a particular word come into their minds. 

Obsessive thoughts are an example of this– with something they consider to be internally dirty, harmful, or wrong. They may fear that whatever bad quality they've projected onto the "dirty" person or thing may somehow transfer over onto themselves.

Symmetry and order obsessions

The need to have everything lined up symmetrically just 'right' is the compulsion caused by the obsessive fear to ensure everything feels 'just right to prevent discomfort or sometimes to prevent harm from occurring. Examples include Neatness, Pictures, Clothes, Books, CDs, etc. 

Those affected will spend a lot of time getting the symmetry just right. They may become mentally and physically drained if the compulsions take a considerable amount of time. The person with this subtype may also avoid social contact at home to prevent symmetry and order from being disrupted, negatively impacting social interaction and relationships.

Ruminations

Rumination is often used to describe all obsessive intrusive thoughts. In OCD, rumination is a train of prolonged thinking about an undirected and unproductive question or theme. They dwell on religious, philosophical, or metaphysical topics, such as the universe's origins, life after death, the nature of morality, etc. 

Unlike obsessive thoughts, ruminations are not offensive and are gratified rather than resisted. With most ruminations, it inevitably never leads to a solution or satisfactory conclusion. The person appears to be intensely preoccupied, very thoughtful, and disconnected.

Intrusive thoughts

‍These occur when a person generally suffers from obsessive thoughts that are repetitive, upsetting, and often horrific and vile; for example, thoughts of causing violent or sexual harm to loved ones that don't involve specific immediate compulsions are called Intrusive Thoughts. It is generally assumed that the thoughts are unpleasant and repetitive (constant). It is generally accepted that when talking about OCD' Intrusive Thoughts', the types listed below can cover unquestionably any subject.

Still, the more common areas of OCD-related concerns cover the following sub-categories: Relationship Intrusive Thoughts, Sexual Intrusive Thoughts, Religious Intrusive Thoughts, and Violent Intrusive Thoughts. 

Research suggests that people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are the least likely to act on the thoughts, partly because they find them so disgusting and go to great lengths to avoid them and prevent them from happening. However, it must be stressed that they are just thoughts, and they are not willingly produced. Neither are they fantasies or impulses that will be acted upon. 

OCD Diagnosis and Treatment

Regardless of the subtype, the process of treating OCD is the same. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is the standard treatment for OCD. This form of therapy mainly targets the source of a person's obsessions by directly exposing them to them. In some cases, people find that ERP helps their anxiety subside to the point where they no longer regularly encounter intense fears related to their thoughts. ERP therapy is an active form of treatment. 

It requires attention from the patient by participating in exposures, a readiness to feel discomfort, and transparency with their therapist about their obsessions and compulsions. In the safe therapy space, you can learn how to deal with the discomfort you encounter without acting out compulsions. You'll also practice these skills at home or in other settings outside of therapy. Suppose you have severe OCD symptoms that don't seem to respond to therapy alone. 

In that case, your mental healthcare provider may suggest talking to a psychiatrist about medication. You might take a medication just for a short time while you learn how to cope with symptoms in therapy. Drugs that can benefit OCD symptoms include antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or antipsychotics.

How Do Cadabams Provide Effective Solutions for Overcoming OCD?

Cadabams has been helping people overcome the effects of OCD for over three decades. We have helped countless people battle their obsessions and compulsions while also helping them live normal lives. Talk to us today and begin your recovery journey. 

If you are searching for a solution to your problem, Cadabam’s Rehabilitation Centre can help you with its team of specialized experts. We have been helping thousands of people live healthier and happier lives for 30+ years. We leverage evidence-based approaches and holistic treatment methods to help individuals effectively manage their OCD. Get in touch with us today. You can call us at +91 96111 94949.

FAQs

1. How does Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy help with OCD?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy helps with OCD by gradually exposing patients to their fears and teaching them to resist compulsive behaviors, reducing anxiety and the power of obsessions over time.

2. What are the most effective therapies for treating OCD?

The most effective therapies for treating OCD include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a focus on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), medication (SSRIs), and sometimes Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for severe cases.

3. What role does family therapy play in treating OCD?

Family therapy plays a role in treating OCD by educating family members about the disorder, helping them to avoid reinforcing the patient's compulsions and improving communication and support systems within the family.