Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I think in Malay, it can loosely be translated as was-was. Have you guys heard of it? Do you know anybody close to yourselves being officially diagnosed with it? Do you even know what it is?

To those not in the know, OCD is some sort of mental illness that occurs in a person, where he will always feel compelled to do something that his mind wants him to do. The reason it's called obsessive compulsive disorder is because firstly, the person will feel sooo obsessed with wanting something to be in a right way, and then he will feel compelled to do something so that his obsession is satisfied.

To make it simpler, you just look at a person's actions (or maybe your own). Does he like to wash his hands ever so often (maybe every 5 minutes or so), even when there is no need for him to do so (i.e. he hadn't touched anything dirty)? Does he take a very long time to go out of his house because he wants to really, really ensure every door is locked, every window is closed, every switch is turned off? Does he often like to arrange everything on a desk or cabinet so that it's arranged in just the right way according to him, and he keeps repeating it many times until he really feels satisfied?

Those are actually some symptoms of OCD. Why I'm writing about this? It's because I think I do have OCD. That's what I think, although I've never went to any doctor to officially diagnose it.

I have some of those symptoms I stated above, such as the washing ritual, and the checking everything in the house repeatedly before going out ritual. Also, I sometimes am also obsessed in checking the ground before I step on it, to avoid stepping on something dirty. These are some of the symptoms that I have.

What I hate about having OCD is the fact that it'll waste a lot of my time, just to satisfy all the urges, obsessions and compulsions that I have. Time that I can use to do other beneficial things, such as studying or reading something, or at the very least, sleeping. Not to mention the stress involved in trying to repeat all those compulsions that I do.

I don't like OCD. I don't like it one bit. I wish there is a cure, but as far as I know, there's no cure. Maybe there're drugs you can take to suppress your mind so that you won't feel too obsessed to do your compulsions. But the best way to relieve yourself of it is to have strong willpower.

I wish I am strong enough to withstand the onslaught of these obsessions, but currently I am not. Hopefully they won't intrude on my ability to study...

The real reason behind me writing about OCD is that I don't want you guys to think badly of your friends when you see them doing those symptoms I said previously, or many other things that may seem silly and foolish to you. It's because only people with OCD know how stressful having OCD is. Also, don't ever think that they're crazy, because the truth of the fact is, they're not. It's just something that they're born with, and cannot do much about.

So, do you guys know anyone having OCD, or maybe you guys yourselves are having it? Do post some comments on the illness if you know something about it, what kind of things that you like to do repeatedly, and what you think is the best way to cure it. Apart from using medicines, do you know of any suitable method to cure was was, according to Islam?

Thanks for listening guys. :)


Posted by Nikman Shah at 6:46 pm
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