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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been around for centuries. At this

point, I am genuinely doubtful that I will be able to shed new light on the subject

or even present it in a startlingly new way, for that matter, but let’s give it a shot

anyway. In the course of my research, I stumbled upon what appeared to be a

relatively popular short poem that describes in a very personal fashion what it is

like to suffer from this disorder. Try as I might, I could only trace authorship of

this poem back to a website called HealthyPlace.com, and even then it was only

credited to ‘Staff Writer’. Still, I was impressed by the writing and include it now:

“I know my hands are clean. I know that I have touched nothing

dangerous. But I doubt my perception. Soon, if I do not wash, a

mind numbing, searing anxiety will cripple me . A feeling of

stickiness will begin to spread from the point of contamination and I

will be lost in a place I do not want to go. So I wash until the feeling

is gone, until the anxiety subsides. Then I feel defeated. So I do

less and less, my world becomes smaller and smaller and more

lonely by the day.”

The writer’s condition, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is an

interesting one. It is a type of anxiety disorder, and people with these types of

disorders cannot stop worrying. In OCD, it is as if the brain becomes hung up on

a certain thought or urge and simply cannot move on. OCD can last throughout a

person’s entire life, gradually getting worse. If left untreated, OCD can
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dramatically interfere with all parts of a person’s life, including their social life,

their job, their schooling, their friends, and their family.

OCD is a mental illness. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is

characterized by intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions), which

increase anxiety, and by repetitive or ritualistic actions (compulsions),

which decrease anxiety. The most recent revision of the diagnostic criteria

for obsessive-compulsive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) emphasizes that compulsions can be

observable behaviors or mental rituals. (Stein 2002) The ‘obsessions’ are

recurring thoughts that are sometimes unwanted and can cause anxiety. The

‘compulsions’ are usually strange, irrational behaviors performed in a ritualistic

fashion in order to combat these thoughts and suppress them. No two people

experience OCD in exactly the same way, but a common symptom is an intense

fear of germs and the contaminating abilities of said germs. This usually leads to

constant hand washing, so much so that the hands become raw. Accordingly,

the OCD appears to stem from a particular disturbance in subjective

convictions about reality: Concerning the problematic content, OCD

sufferers know objectively but cannot believe subjectively. For example,

even though the compulsive hand washer knows objectively that his or her

hands look clean, he or she cannot readily generate the subjective

conviction that they are truly clean and so continues to wash. (Szechtman

2004) Other commonly seen symptoms include sorting, checking, and counting
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compulsions. Sufferers may have an intense preoccupation with order and

symmetry or be unable to throw anything away. In a study conducted on the

issue of perfectionist behavior in those with OCD, the results were obvious.

Collectively, it appears that the literature has supported the role of

perfectionism in specific types of obsessive and compulsive experiences.

In particular, it appears that perfectionism has a strong connection to

obsessional experiences and behaviors that are related to exactness, such

as checking and NJR (“Not Just Right”) experiences. (Moretz 2009) Most

people with the disorder have both obsessions and compulsions. Very few have

either one or the other. Some people are barely bothered by the condition, while

others find the obsessions and compulsions to be extremely traumatic and spend

much of their time each day performing their compulsive rituals.

Although those who have OCD may understand that these are not rational

thought processes, they are usually unable to control them. OCD has been

called ‘the disease of doubt’ because of this. People suffering from the disorder

live in a great deal of fear, never wanting their behaviors to be noticed as

strange. The rituals they perform in response to their obsessions only serve to

ease the anxiety they are experiencing, not completely resolve it. Therefore

these rituals must be performed numerous times. However, the ever-present fear

that something truly horrible will occur should a ritual ever be stopped so often

traps OCD sufferers into an existence governed by their compulsions. In an

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experiment conducted using a group of people, some with OCD, some without,

participants were placed in a variety of high and low risk situations in order to test

their moral reasoning abilities. An example of a low risk situation might involve

the participant deciding whether or not to season the chicken breast meant for

dinner with paprika, even though the participant is cooking for guests and is

unsure if any of them have food allergies. And example of a high risk situation

involved witnessing a speeding train with damaged brakes hurtle toward a group

of five workers on the tracks. The participant is standing next to a switch that, if

pulled, will change the train’s course to a different set of tracks, upon which there

is only one worker. In the low risk situations, the participants with OCD took

considerably longer to make a decision. However, in high risk scenarios, all

participants decided quickly to make the utilitarian decision to act on behalf of the

greater good. In this case, to take one life in order to save five. First, by relying

on the standard high-risk scenarios developed in previous research, we

demonstrated that whatever reasoning biases do exist in OCD, they must

be confined to relatively low-risk scenarios, and perhaps only to those

directly pertinent to the specific concerns of the patient. (Franklin 2009)

Sigmund Freud determined that the cause of OCD occurs during the anal

stage of psychosexual development, when the child is perhaps being toilet

trained and has an unpleasant time of it or the parent does not handle the

training properly. New research, however, shows that OCD is neurobiological.

There are actual physical differences between the brains of OCD sufferers and
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those without the disorder. The neurons are overly sensitive to serotonin, which

can be problematic because serotonin is responsible for regulation a person’s

level of anxiety. Also, part of the brain is highly overactive. The part of the brain

that is responsible for translating complex intentions into fundamental actions

fails correctly to communicate the chemical message that an action has been

completed, possibly causing brain cells to become hung up on certain thoughts

or operations. There have been many theories put forth that suggest possible

causes of OCD to be strep throat as a child, genetics, high levels of stress in

those already predisposed, and even puberty. It is believed that OCD affects 5 –

6 million Americans. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the

most prevalent of the anxiety disorders, and it has been rated as a leading

cause of disability by the World Health Organization. (Doron 2008)

When it comes to seeking help, less than 1/5 of OCD sufferers actually do

so. They avoid treatment out of shame, and instead become better at hiding their

irrational behaviors. Often by the time they do seek help, their behaviors have

been ground into their personalities and are incredibly hard habits to break. 95%

of OCD sufferers can usually be treated with a combination of cognitive-

behavioral therapy and medication designed to regulate the brain's serotonin

levels. A few approved drugs are Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft, for example. It

is advised that the drugs be taken for at least 12 weeks before deciding whether

or not they are effective. Without treatment, OCD can last decades, even an
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entire lifetime, fluctuating from mild to severe and worsening with age.

Sometimes, the combination treatment using drugs and behavioral therapy is not

very successful and hospitalization may be required.

It is important to understand what OCD is not. OCD is different from

behaviors such as gambling addiction and overeating because people with these

disorders typically experience at least some pleasure from their activity. OCD

sufferers do not want to perform their compulsive tasks and experience no

pleasure from doing so, only an ease in anxiety. OCD is also often confused with

the separate condition Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder. The two are

not the same condition because OCD is incompatible with the sufferer's self-

concept and causes distress. OCPD, on the other hand, is marked by the

individual's acceptance that the characteristics displayed as a result of this

disorder are compatible with his or her self concept and cause no distress.

People with OCPD can in fact derive pleasure from their obsessions or

compulsions. Although I have yet to go through the proper channels, I believe

that I may actually have OCPD and I look forward to finding out if I’m right.

People with OCD may also be diagnosed with other conditions such as

generalized anxiety disorder, anorexia nervosa, social anxiety disorder, bulimia

nervosa, Tourette syndrome, Asperger syndrome, compulsive skin picking, body

dysmorphic disorder, and trichotillomania. Many who suffer from OCD also suffer

from panic attacks and depression is also extremely prevalent among sufferers.

In fact, the discovery of OCD is often because sufferers sought help for
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something else, almost always their depression. Personality pathology is

highly prevalent among people with OCD who are living in the community

and should be routinely assessed, as it may affect help-seeking behaviour

and response to treatment. (Torres 2006)

OCD is a disorder that drastically interferes with a person’s life on the

most personal level. I am aware that none of this information is new, but perhaps

I can list all the successful individuals I can find who have and have overcome

the disorder.

Charles Darwin, born in 1809, was a naturalist and author, best known for

his theory of natural selection.

Howard Hughes, born Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. in 1905, was an

American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, film director, and one of

the wealthiest people in the world. By the late 1950s Hughes had developed

debilitating symptoms of social avoidance behavior and OCD.

Marc Summers, born Marc Berkowitz in 1951, is an American television

personality, popular game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host,

perhaps best known for hosting the children's game show Double Dare on

Nickelodeon.

Billy Bob Thornton, born in 1955, is an Academy Award-winning American

screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. He

came to fame in the mid 1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the film
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Sling Blade. He and rock singer Warren Zevon became close friends after

sharing their common experiences with the disorder.

Jessica Alba, born 1981, is an American actress whose TV and film

credits include Dark Angel, Honey, Sin City, Fantastic Four, Into the Blue, Idle

Hands and Good Luck Chuck. Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of

physical maladies. She suffered collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4-5 times

a year, a ruptured appendix, and a cyst on her tonsils.

Donald Trump, born Donald John Trump in 1946, is an American business

executive, entrepreneur, television and radio personality and author. He is also

known for his distinctive hairstyle. Trump, host of the TV show "The Apprentice,"

has a germ phobia that makes him afraid to shake hands. He refuses to touch

the ground floor button of a lift and avoids shaking hands with people, especially

teachers.

Cameron Diaz, born Cameron Michelle Diaz in 1972, is an American

actress and former fashion model. She is perhaps best known for her roles in

popular blockbuster movies such as The Mask, There's Something About Mary,

My Best Friend's Wedding, Charlie's Angels, Shrek, and Gangs of New York.

Diaz suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and has publicly admitted she

habitually rubs doorknobs so hard before opening doors to clean them that the

original paint on the doorknobs fades afterwards. She says she washes her

hands many times each day and uses her elbows to push open doors.
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Leonardo DiCaprio, born Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio in 1974, is a three-

time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American

actor who garnered worldwide fame for his role as Jack Dawson in Titanic. He

says he has to force himself not to step on every chewing gum stain when

walking along and fight urges to walk through a doorway several times, because

he doesn't want his condition taking over his life.

Michael Jackson, born Michael Joseph Jackson in 1958, is an American

musician and entertainer, who debuted at the age of five as a member of the

Jackson 5, and went on to become a pop icon as a solo artist. Michael Jackson

seems to have Body Dismorphic Disorder. He has had over 30 cosmetic surgery

operations and his ex-wife Lisa Presley has said he would never take off his

make-up, even in bed. BDD is a negative preoccupation with physical

appearance. Many who suffer from this disorder are at a greater risk of becoming

plastic surgery addicts. Individuals with BDD display symptoms similar to those

who are diagnosed with OCD.

Harrison Ford, born in 1942, is an Academy Award-nominated American

actor. Ford is best known for his performances as the tough, wisecracking space

pilot Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the adventurous

archaeologist and action hero Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. in the Indiana Jones

film series.
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Howard Stern, born Howard Allan Stern in 1954, is an American radio and

TV personality, media mogul, humorist, actor, and author. Stern hosts The

Howard Stern Show four days a week on Howard 100, a Sirius Satellite Radio

station. Stern practices transcendental meditation in order to deal with his OCD.

He is also a brown belt in Japanese Shotokan Karate.

Howie Mandel, born Howie Michael Mandel II in 1955, is a Canadian

comedian and actor, known for his roles on sitcoms and television. Being one of

the best stand up comedians of all time, Howie Mandel suffers from OCD and

can't shake hands with anyone due to mysophobia. Basically being the fear of

dirt and germs, for this reason Howie shaves his head because it helps him feel

cleaner. All these symptoms pass unnoticed when seeing him animating the

popular show Deal or no Deal.

Penélope Cruz, born in 1974, is a Spanish actress who has known much

success in many of her movies. She was originally a dancer but slowly started to

get involved in Spanish television. With time she has now appeared in several

movies in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.

Albert Einstein, born in 1879, was one of the most important great minds

of his century. Einstein was then known to suffer from dyslexia, mainly because

of his bad memory and his constant failure to memorize the simplest of things. It

is also thought that he had OCD. He would not remember the months in the year,

yet he would succeed in solving some of the most complicated mathematical

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formulas of the time without any trouble. He may have never learned how to

properly tie his shoelaces, but his scientific contributions and theories still have a

major effect on all of today’s current knowledge of science.

Michelangelo, born in 1475, was one of the greatest artists of all times.

His attention was constantly on his artwork and he suffered from OCD. He was

not a social person and had a short temper, which would often lead to anger in

normal conversations with family members or strangers. He would avoid people

most of the time and sometimes would even walk out of a conversation for no

apparent reason. When an opinion would offend his beliefs he would get angry

and simply leave. Michelangelo was also known for always sleeping in his

clothes, including his boots. He would isolate himself for long periods of time,

working on himself and his arts, while ignoring and showing no emotion towards

his surroundings. There was no doubt that Michelangelo had suffered from OCD,

but that did not keep him from being the best at his work.

Charlie Sheen, born in 1965, had started being an actor at the age of 9

alongside his father in a TV movie named ''The Execution of Private Slovik ''. His

film career began in 1984, where he took part in many minor supporting roles for

several films such as ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''Red Dawn'' and ''Platoon''. He

has also starred alongside Clint Eastwood in the action film ''The Rookie''.

Outside his career Charlie Sheen has suffered from both OCD and drug abuse.
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David Beckham, born in 1975, suffers from OCD and it manifests itself

through constant cleanliness and perfection of all that is around him. Anything

out of order is enough to cause a conflict and must be attended to immediately.

Everything must be in pairs. If there are three books on a table one must be

added, or one must be removed. Only 2% of the population suffer from OCD this

strong.

Ian Puleston-Davies, born in 1959, is a British actor and writer. He has

starred in the ITV drama Vincent alongside Ray Winstone, and Ghostboat

alongside David Jason. He wrote the ITV drama Dirty Filthy Love based on his

own experiences of OCD. "My fear was that if I sat down too quickly I would

crack my coccyx,” he says. “And I also have a problem with germs,

contamination and harm. My OCD would be saying, ‘Do you know how many

people have sat on that seat in the past half hour?’ I’m not so bad now, but two

or three years ago . . . well, I couldn’t go out for lunch with friends.

Justin Timberlake, born Justin Randall Timberlake in 1981, is an American

pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Justin Timberlake

came to fame as one of the lead singers of pop boy band 'N Sync. In 2002, he

released his debut solo album, Justified. Timberlake's second solo release,

FutureSex/LoveSounds, was released in 2006 with the U.S. number-one hit

singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around".

According to an interview that Timberlake gave Timberlake said he has a

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“complicated” mix of OCD and attention deficit disorder. Like the British soccer

star David Beckham, Timberlake states that he has to make sure that things are

lined up perfect and also makes sure that the fridge is stocked only with certain

foods. Although he struggles with OCD and ADD Timberlake says he still loves

to perform and it doesn’t stop him from living.

Joey Ramone, born in 1951, was a vocalist and songwriter best known for

his work in the punk rock group the Ramones. During his youth, he was by

general accounts something of an outcast and had a dysfunctional family life,

which inspired the song "We're A Happy Family". Joey admitted that he has

OCD.

John List, born in 1925, was an American convicted mass murderer. On

November 9, 1971, he murdered his mother, wife and three children in Westfield,

New Jersey, and then disappeared. He had planned everything so meticulously

that nearly a month passed before anyone noticed that anything was amiss. A

fugitive from justice for nearly 18 years, he was finally apprehended on June 1,

1989 while living under the pseudonym Robert Peter "Bob" Clark, after the story

of his murders was broadcast on America's Most Wanted.

Nikola Tesla, born in 1856, was an inventor, physicist, mechanical

engineer, and electrical engineer. He is best known for his many revolutionary

contributions to the discipline of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and

early 20th century. After his demonstration of wireless communication (radio) in

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1893 and after being the victor in the "War of Currents", he was widely respected

as America's greatest electrical engineer. Much of his early work pioneered

modern electrical engineering and many of his discoveries were of

groundbreaking importance. He is stated as being "the man who invented the

20th Century" by some. He was a germophobe, hated touching round objects,

disliked hair other than his own, found jewelry repulsive, and tended to do things

that were either in 3's or in numbers divisible by 3. For meals he insisted on

estimating the mass of everything he was about to consume, always used 18

napkins, and refused to eat alone with a woman.

Volkert van der Graaf, born July 9, 1969, was said to be a highly intelligent

perfectionist who was emotionally uncommunicative and intolerant of those with

different values to his own. He is the confessed murderer of Dutch politician Pim

Fortuyn. On Tuesday, April 15, 2003, Van der Graaf was convicted and

sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. The prosecution and the defense both

made appeals against this sentence. Prior to the appeal, suggestions in the

media that Van der Graaf may be suffering from Asperger's syndrome were

rejected by workers at the PBC, who said they had considered and rejected the

possibility.

Rose McGowan, born September 5, 1973, is an American actress best

known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB TV series Charmed, and the

cult-classic The Doom Generation. She has also appeared in several major
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Hollywood films, with leading roles in Scream, Jawbreaker, and the Quentin

Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double-feature Grindhouse. McGowan is currently

the co-host of TCM's film-series program, The Essentials. Rose has agoraphobia

and OCD.

For many reasons, people are quick to label themselves with OCD. It has

been glamorized in the past through television and feature films, but the disorder

actively disrupts and alters a person’s life, usually for the worst. It does not

transform you into Adrian Monk and it is absolutely horrible for those afflicted. It

is important to remember that you can display behaviors similar to those with

OCD without actually having OCD, just like you can display indicators of

depression without actually being depressed. If you do not meet the criteria as

laid down by the DSM-IV TR, then you probably do not have Obsessive-

Compulsive Disorder.
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