How does OCD affect everyday life?
The manner in which OCD intereferes with daily life depends on a number of factors. Left untreated, OCD can lead to social isolation, an inability to hold down meaningful employment and a sense of impending doom. OCD can be treated with medications such as SSRI’s (paxil, celexa and prozac are a few) that can reduce the severity of obsessive thoughts. Behavioral therapy is crucial in treating OCD because learning new coping mechanisms to replace ritualistic behavior will make life easier. Whether OCD symtoms are mild or severe, the person suffering from OCD is not lazy and can’t just “snap” out of it. OCD can create a false sense of doom, a fear of germs or fear in general that something bad is going to happen. Many believe that OCD comes on gradually and a person with mild symptoms may not realize that their symptoms are beyond what is considered normal.
