2408 Apple APR MAY 2016 A4 Bleed 5

AFFILIATE PARTNER FEATURE
EMMA CITRON
OCD
Intrusive habit or
serious disorder?
By Emma Citron Consultant Clinical Psychologist
We have all heard of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
and may have worried at some point about whether we have
OCD tendencies ourselves.
OCD-like behaviours are especially common around
Passover, Spring cleaning time or during the recent
SARS, Ebola and Zika outbreaks.
We may find ourselves washing our hands more than
usual or recommended, or becoming more rigid in our
routines. Perhaps we derive some comfort in this by,
for example, straightening the books on the shelf, lining
up all the shoes in the rack or checking our email ‘sent
documents’ folder again and again for errors.
OCD affects about 2% of the
population, or may affect any one of
us with a 2% likelihood.
What is going on here? Is this OK, and when do our
behaviours become a cause for concern? Obsessivecompulsive
disorder is best described as when people's
preoccupations get out of hand. It may be that they
worry about contracting a disease and then ‘neutralise’
this worry by engaging in one or several compulsions
which act to neutralise it.
Many of us become more obsessive and compulsive in
our behaviours at times of stress, and the behaviours
serve as a ‘quick fix’. However, compulsive behaviours
where they escalate, actually make anxiety worse and
professional help should be sought by a registered
Clinical Psychologist.
For more information about
Emma Citron, visit the Blue Pages
14-16 in this edition of The Apple, call
07903 169162 or visit
www.citronpsychology.co.uk.
4 JDOC365 APPLE MAGAZINE