PSYCH 509 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Egosyntonic And Egodystonic, Trichotillomania, Orderliness
Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders 10/02/2014
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE & RELATED DISORDERS
Was an anxiety disorder in DSM-IV, but now in its own category
Categories Listed as OCRDs in DSM-5:
1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
obsessions and compulsions relieve anxiety
2. Body dysmorphic disorder
3. Hoarding Disorder
actions produce pleasure
4. Trichotillomania (hair-pulling) disorder
repetitive actions produce pleasure
5. Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder
repetitive actions produce pleasure
6. Other specified OCRD
7. Unspecified OCRD
**See Table 7.1 in Textbook.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder- Diagnostic Criteria
Obsessions or Compulsions
Obsessions are defined by:
recurrent, persistent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts, urges or images.
The person attempts to ignore, suppress or neutralize the thoughts, words, or images.
Compulsions are defined by
Repetitive behaviors or thoughts that the person feels compelled to perform to prevent distress or a
dreaded event.
The person feels driven to perform the repetitive behaviors or thoughts in response to
obsessions or according to rigid rules.
The obsessions or compulsions are time consuming (e.g. at least one hour per day)
Or cause clinically significant distress or impairment
The main features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
are strong, unwanted thoughts that create significant anxiety and often drive repetitive behavior that is
excessive, unnecessary, and at least in part not under the person’s voluntary control (ego-dystonic)
Obsessions = repetitive, unwanted, or intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses;
obsessive thoughts are unwelcome, often aggressive or nonsensical.
Compulsions = repetitive behaviors, rituals used to reduce anxiety that are
considered by the person to be senseless or irrational—e.g., cleaning, counting,
and checking
Five Distinct Forms of Obsessions:
Doubts
Images
Thoughts
Impulses
Fears
Types of Compulsive Rituals:
Cleaning
Checking
Repeating
Hoarding
Orderliness
REACTION FORMATION IN OCD: When they have an obsession that is not socially acceptable
they turn it into cleaning or some sort of other socially acceptable act
**Cleaning compulsions: gender
More cleaners are female
Do not modify rituals in front of others
Reduces anxiety
**More checkers are male
Prefer rituals while they are alone
Will tone down rituals in front of others
May increase anxiety
Criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessions
Intrusive, persistent, and uncontrollable thoughts or urges
Experienced as irrational
Most common:
Contamination, sexual and aggressive impulses, body problems
Compulsions
Impulse to repeat certain behaviors or mental acts to avoid distress e.g., cleaning, counting, touching,
checking
