obsessive-compulsive disorder
Noun: A mental health condition characterized by the presence of obsessions (unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts a person feels driven to perform, often in response to an obsession, to reduce distress or prevent a feared event).
This term is a clinical diagnosis used in psychology and psychiatry. It is often abbreviated as OCD. It describes a specific, recognized disorder and should be used with appropriate clinical context.
- The therapist specializes in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- A common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder is excessive handwashing.
- He was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in his late teens.
- "Pure O": A colloquial term sometimes used to describe a presentation of obsessive-compulsive disorder where the compulsions are primarily mental (e.g., counting, repeating phrases silently, analyzing thoughts) rather than observable physical behaviors.
- "OCD traits" or "obsessive-compulsive tendencies": Used to describe behaviors or thought patterns that resemble symptoms of the disorder but do not meet the full clinical criteria for a diagnosis, often to avoid trivializing the condition.
- OCD (noun): The common abbreviation for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- She manages her OCD with cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Obsessive-compulsive (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- He has obsessive-compulsive tendencies regarding order and symmetry.
- Obsession (noun): A persistent, disturbing preoccupation with an often-unreasonable idea or feeling, which is a core component of the disorder.
- Compulsion (noun): An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, especially against one's conscious wishes, which is a core component of the disorder.
- Anxiety disorder (broader category): OCD is classified as a type of anxiety disorder.
- There are no direct clinical synonyms for the full term "obsessive-compulsive disorder," as it is a specific diagnostic label.
- To have OCD: The common phrasing to indicate someone is diagnosed with the disorder.
- It is important to remember that someone who has OCD is not defined by the condition.
- To suffer from OCD: A phrase sometimes used, though many prefer "live with" or "have" to avoid overemphasizing suffering.
- OCD behaviors / rituals / thoughts: Phrases used to describe the specific manifestations of the disorder.
The term "obsessive-compulsive disorder" is a formal medical term. Using "OCD" as a casual adjective to describe someone who is merely neat or meticulous (e.g., "I'm so OCD about my desk") is considered inappropriate and trivializes a serious mental health condition.
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an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and persistent thoughts and feelings and repetitive, ritualized behaviors
