What causes OCD and how do I get rid of it?

to get rid of a ocd you have to overcome the urge of what ever the ocd is.. causes can range from things that happened in childhood to things that happened in adulthood… so you could have a partner and your in your mid 20s and they ocd over where the knife, fork and spoons are kept in the draw, your still with this person after so many years and that ocd has made you get 1. it could be a silly 1 like what side of the bath the soap is kept etc etc stuff from childhood would be the same like you picked it up from family and/or friends, just ppl you spend a lot of time with… or you could get 1 on your own.. it is just something to do with how you live and think.

You can’t really fully over-come the urges. I have obsessive tendencies at times but I have found that they are at their worse when I go through a period of depressive behavior. If I keep myself busy and happy, I’m pretty much fine. If it is really bad, you could talk to your doctor about other forms of medication. Try and beat it by yourself one thing at a time. They say it takes 5 times of beating the urge to let it go. Try your hardest. I know what it’s like, you feel like you are going to burst or go insane. But you CAN beat it. This is YOUR life and you need to try not to be controlled by your mind. Personally, my OCD is more physical, like jumping on the spot, doing weird things with my wrists (don’t ask haha)… the list goes on… I find also, that when I talk about it (even now) that the urge starts up again. Every time it even remotely comes into my mind, I don’t let it in. I change the subject in my head. I move into a different room. I absolutely FORCE myself to not do it. As you begin to win, your brain realizes that all of these things, slowly but surely, are actually not important. Take a deep breath. Focus on something else. Force a conversation up with the nearest person in the room. Sing if you are alone. It’s the rule of opposites. You want to touch something, so don’t. As soon as you need to touch it, run away from it and pick up something else so that your hands still get the sensation of touch (which your brain told them they needed to do) but your brain doesn’t get to touch what it actually wanted to touch. Slowly you will be able to just walk past something without touching it and have no need to touch anything else. What also helps for me, is if I start to have a breakdown over not letting myself do things, I get in the shower and wash my hair. I don’t know why but it relaxes me and I feel refreshed and clean afterwards, physically and mentally. Find something that relaxes you. But you need to be careful not to let it become another OCD thing haha. If you need to talk or anything just mail me.

that was some great advice…good for you that you are learning to cope with it! My cousin has OCD really bad…it has interfered with his life so bad, has been on medication for years & even electric shock therapy…it’s not easy & not something you can get rid of…you can try to deal with it by overcoming the anxiety if you are strong willed & can allow yourself to have the conflicts with yourself caused by the urges…it’s a lifetime of ongoing battles & only you can change it by convincing yourself that you dont need to do it by as you said convincing yourself to do something else instead! For my poor cousin, he is brilliant, but cant ever make schedule…sometimes due to the medication & severe side effects, he has days where he cant even get out of bed… it’s not easy & I strongly feel for all OCD sufferers…I wish you & everyone with OCD a way to finally get rid of it using any method possible…what ever works for you is awesome… Good luck!

Try watching the TV shows called “The OCD Project” and “Obsessed” they are both very similar, and explain how to overcome OCD. It has different people, with different obsessions, and levels of OCD. They are on the show to get help. They are really good shows, and you learn alot from them!!!

I am not sure if you are born with OCD or not. However, I know that if you don’t have it, or don’t have it where it interferes with your life, that a traumatic experience can cause OCD to be triggered.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is believed to be caused by a shortage of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.

Minor cases of OCD can sometimes be treated with psychotherapy where the patient learns to deal with their obsessions.

More serious cases require medication. Most antidepressants increase the amount of serotonin though only certain ones seem to be effective against OCD.

Like most psychological conditions OCD is managed rather than cured. In general those taking medication for OCD will have to take medication for the rest of their lives.

It’s thought to be genetic. And I dont think you can get rid of it entirely. The best treatment is behavioral therapy where the therapist will basically go over exposure and response prevention. In simple language it means stop doing what you’re doing. As hard as that sounds, it is the only thing that works. My OCD focuses on cleaning, my hands became so dry i got little cuts all over. The more you indulge in the behavior the worse it gets. So you stop the behaviors and the obsessions will get better (I dont know if they will completely go away, but they get a lot more manageable).

Watch the tv show go to HuLu and type in ocd.