Comments on: Monosymptomatic OCD http://transabled.org/thoughts/monosymptomatic-ocd.htm Talking about Body Integrity Identity Disorder - Just another disability! Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:34:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-beta2 hourly 1 By: rorschach http://transabled.org/thoughts/monosymptomatic-ocd.htm/comment-page-1#comment-527 rorschach Mon, 15 Jan 2007 11:16:07 +0000 http://transabled.org/thoughts/monosymptomatic-ocd.htm#comment-527 Here is a quick clip from the DSM: IV regarding obsessions and compulsions. More can be found here. http://anxiety.psy.ohio-state.edu/ocd1.htm A. Either obsessions or compulsions: Obsessions as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4): 1. recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress 2. the thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems 3. the person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action 4. the person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion) Compulsions as defined by (1) and (2): 1. repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly 2. the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive My therapist arrived at the same conclusion as your psychiatrist. At first I was very apprehensive to that notion, but over time I have grown to agree with it somewhat. Is it damaging my life? Well, so far it hasn’t per se. Sure it causes me stress, and dictates a bit of how I live my life; however, I haven’t really had an instance in which it has impaired my functioning in life yet. That being said, I still see this as something that is somewhat disabling. More though in the sense of, “What could I be without this?” It’s odd, I know, to have a speculative disability, but I suspect that there may be some truth to this notion. Here is a quick clip from the DSM: IV regarding obsessions and compulsions. More can be found here.
http://anxiety.psy.ohio-state.edu/ocd1.htm
A. Either obsessions or compulsions:
Obsessions as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):
1. recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress
2. the thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems
3. the person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action
4. the person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)
Compulsions as defined by (1) and (2):
1. repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly
2. the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive

My therapist arrived at the same conclusion as your psychiatrist. At first I was very apprehensive to that notion, but over time I have grown to agree with it somewhat. Is it damaging my life? Well, so far it hasn’t per se. Sure it causes me stress, and dictates a bit of how I live my life; however, I haven’t really had an instance in which it has impaired my functioning in life yet.
That being said, I still see this as something that is somewhat disabling. More though in the sense of, “What could I be without this?” It’s odd, I know, to have a speculative disability, but I suspect that there may be some truth to this notion.

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