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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Co-Occurring Dissociative Identity Disorder
It is believed that 1% of the population of the United States has dissociative identity disorder that is caused by repeated, severe childhood trauma. However, many who live with the diagnosis of DID have the double whammy of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
What obsessive-compulsive disorder and what are its symptoms, causes, and treatments? Plus, how are OCD and DID connected?
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
The Mayo Clinic offers this definition of OCD:
“Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.”
Those living with OCD cannot ignore nor stop their obsessive behavior and trying to do so increases their anxiety and distress driving them to perform compulsive acts to ease the distress. Bothersome thoughts or urges get worse with attempts to ignore them as well leading to more ritualistic behavior. Thus spins the wheel of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The need to check and recheck things and/or wash obsessively or other unusual behaviors and…
