In life, we often laugh at ourselves with obsessive-compulsive disorder:
"I like to put things in my home neatly to look comfortable. Maybe I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive? ”
"Do I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, I see the red dot on the app will definitely click off."
The video titled "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Series" is full of unevenly arranged items, such as missing pieces of a puzzle.
But obsessive-compulsive disorder in the strict sense of the word is a mental illness with clear diagnostic criteria. There is actually a big difference between the above mild obsessive-compulsive habits and the real "obsessive-compulsive disorder".
Maybe you have questions, is your obsessive-compulsive disorder real or fake? What is the difference between the two? Although there is no obsessive-compulsive disorder, what should I do if I have a compulsive behavior that I want to change?
Today, we will start with the movie "Aviator", Leonardo played the typical obsessive-compulsive disorder patient - Howard Hughes.
How crazy he is, how fragile he is: the world of obsessive-compulsive disorder
In the movie "The Aviator", the protagonist Howard Hughes is a business genius who has achieved great career success, but on the other hand, he is tormented by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, and his life and feelings are full of twists and turns.
As a veritable obsessive-compulsive disorder, what exactly does Howard Hughes manifest in life?
1. Obsessive-compulsive thoughts.
Fear of bacteria or contamination
During Howard's date with Hepburn, Hepburn discovered that Howard's airplane handle was wrapped around a membrane cloth. She asked Howard why he had wrapped cellophane in cellophane on the steering wheel, to which Howard replied, "You don't want to know what's on the steering wheel." ”
Image source 丨 《Aviator》
Howard was so afraid of the ubiquity of bacteria and viruses that he touched everything he touched with his hands, wrapped in cellophane to prevent contact.
Things are symmetrical or perfectly ordered
This habit of Howard is mentioned almost everywhere in the film. While handling the work, Howard ordered his men to bring chocolates and made this request:
But once the rules he needs are broken or incorrect, he will feel sick to his stomach and even collapse.
2. Compulsive behavior.
Excessive cleaning and/or hand washing
As a common manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Howard's compulsive handwashing occurred after touching objects. He took out the soap that his mother had given him when he was a child, and rubbed his hands almost frantically until his hands were scratched and bleeding.
Sort and arrange things in a specific, precise way
Accurately arranged peas and bottled milk without opening caps were Howard's dining habits. In this scene, the companion jokingly snatches a pea from his plate, and after the set rules are broken, Howard immediately begins to fidget and anxious, and finally gets up and leaves the restaurant unbearably.
Check the items repeatedly
Howard's perfectionism is especially evident in his work. In the process of building the new aircraft, he was very concerned about whether each nail was neatly arranged, whether the shell of the aircraft was smooth enough, and the need to repeatedly choose the perfect steering wheel in his mind.
Compulsive counting
In the process of picking the steering wheel, Howard suddenly began to repeat the same sentence uncontrollably, and he kept repeating it again and again, and could only cover his mouth and force himself to stop.
To stop, he began spelling the word "Quarantine," starting with "Q" and ending with "E." He spelled it over and over again—that's his compulsive counting method, and he was using it to calm himself down.
We can see that all of Howard's compulsive behaviors are carried out in response to obsessive thinking, but in fact, these compulsive behaviors do not reduce his suffering.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients are like "Sisyphus" trapped in their own minds, endlessly pushing stones to the top of the mountain, and the stones immediately fall and continue to push the stones to the top of the mountain, enduring repeated acts.
Obsessive-compulsive personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder: swinging at both ends of the spectrum
Maybe you see yourself in some of Howard's behavior, but that doesn't mean you're obsessive-compulsive.
We can understand personality traits as a spectrum where moderation is healthy.
Although these people also have some characteristics of compulsive behavior, such as perfectionism (excessive attention to details and procedures), stubbornness (insisting on following their own rules, lack of flexibility), etc., their inner self is coordinated, there is no conflict, these compulsive behaviors are to deal with inner feelings, but the person who gets with him will feel uncomfortable.
But when this personality trait loses its elasticity, it slides into unhealthy parts, forming "compulsions and related disorders." Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the more common forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders, in addition to somatic deformation disorder, trichotillomania, hoarding disorder, and compulsive behavior due to substance or drug abuse (DSM-5)
If a person's "compulsion" reaches the level of obsessive-compulsive disorder, they will face a very strong conflict inside, "I don't want to do this, but I have to do it." "They suffer from fantasies, compulsive behaviors, and some patients even choose to commit suicide.
Image source 丨pinterest
As a psychiatric disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder has rigorous diagnostic criteria that require an assessment of a variety of factors, including the degree of pain these obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors cause you, and the extent to which they affect your actual life.
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are usually (partially excerpted from DSM-5):
Feeling repetitive, persistent, intrusive, and unnecessary thoughts or impulses can mostly cause significant anxiety or pain.
There are a large number of repetitive, meaningless behaviors (e.g., handwashing, sorting, checking) or mental activities (e.g., prayer, counting, repeated chanting).
These thoughts or behaviors are time-consuming (e.g., consuming 1 hour or more a day for more than two weeks) and lead to social, professional, or other significant impairments.
Therefore, if there are only some mild compulsive behaviors, don't casually put on the hat of "obsessive-compulsive disorder".
Compulsive behavior is innate and may be created by circumstances
Seeing this, I think everyone will wonder, why does a person behave compulsively in a good manner? Is it innate?
In fact, the reasons for its formation are very complex, and the following factors may have a certain relationship with the emergence of compulsive behavior:
1. Strict parenting style.
Parents adopt a flexible, unenlightened parenting style, confusing people and behaviors, such as when a child does something wrong, and is punished by the parent as a bad person. Children may be expected to be overly committed to themselves, to pursue perfectionism, and to experience a strong sense of shame if they do not achieve their goals, making it easier to form a compulsive personality.
2. Children grow up in a completely opposite, very chaotic environment that also promotes the emergence of compulsive behaviors.
For example, if a child lives in a chaotic family where his father is abusive and his mother is drunk, his young mind cannot handle such a complex and fearful situation, and it is easy to develop some compulsive thoughts and behaviors.
He can't help but think about a lot of meaningless details in order to isolate his emotions, suppress feelings, and counteract fear and anger. In addition, he is prone to becoming extremely "rational", reducing his feelings to childish, vulnerable, out-of-control, cluttered and dirty emotions, feeling that vulnerability cannot be expressed. These are all about gaining a sense of control and security in a helpless environment, and being used to protect yourself.
3. Genetic and physiological factors can exacerbate the evolution of obsessive-compulsive personality into obsessive-compulsive disorder.
According to relevant studies, the incidence of OCD in the previous generation of relatives is about 2 times higher than that of individuals with no history of obsessive-compulsive disorder; if the OCD of the previous generation of relatives is onset in childhood or adolescence, the incidence is increased by 10 times.
At the beginning of the movie "The Aviator", Howard's obsessive-compulsive mother teaches little Howard to spell the word "Quarantine" word for word, and bathes little Howard with that soap, and Howard's compulsive counting ceremony is also taught by the mother church.
What should I do if I have compulsive behavior?
Although we talk a lot about the seriousness of OCD in this article, don't worry too much. In fact, each of us has some compulsive behaviors, and some of them are cute and funny. As long as your behavior doesn't cause serious distress to yourself and doesn't affect other people, you're on the health spectrum.
But if you want to adjust some of your compulsive thoughts and behaviors, you can try these suggestions:
1. First of all, allow yourself to make mistakes, allow yourself to be an ordinary person.
Learn to distinguish between people and behavior, everyone will make mistakes, and doing the wrong thing does not mean that you are a bad person. While changing this idea can be difficult, try to let go of this obsession when you blame yourself.
2. Exercise your ability to tolerate anxiety.
You may not have a clear anxiety-relieving ritual like compulsive counting, but you will repeatedly confirm something, such as constantly recalling whether to lock the door after going out. Wait a minute, don't rush to do something, try to be patient. Anxiety calms down quickly after reaching its peak.
3. Experience and enjoy your emotions.
Anger, in particular, is often not directed at others, but at the excessive goals and constraints you set for yourself.
4. Finally, if your symptoms have seriously affected your life, you must seek professional treatment and help.
Because obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness, there is a risk of suicide. Moreover, the response rate in adults is relatively low without professional treatment (the response rate is 20% for 40-year reassessment), and children or individuals with adolescent disease may cause lifelong obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In short, in the best possible situation, do not struggle alone in silence.
Hopefully, every compulsive person will receive the understanding and respect they deserve.
bibliography
[1] National Institutes of Health. (2020). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Repetitive Behaviors Take Over (1st ed.). NIH.
DSM-5
Author: Han Bing, Xiao Yuan
Editor-in-charge: Kuma
Cover image source: pexels