Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Home

Header Top Menu

  • Careers
  • Investors
  • News
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
    • Podcasts
      • The Antigen Podcast
      • Get Science Podcast
      • Diverse Perspectives Podcast
      • menopause: unmuted
      • Hemcast
    • Contact Media Relations
    • Press Kits & Downloads
      • Company Press Kit
      • Pfizer Oncology Press Kit
      • PSA Narrative
      • RA NarRAtive
      • Rare Disease Gene Therapy Press Kit
      • ATTR-Amyloidosis Press Kit
      • UC Narrative
      • Eczema Inside Out Press Kit
  • Partners
    • Discovery to Pre-candidate
      • Focus Areas
        • Therapeutic Areas
          • Internal Medicine
          • Inflammation and Immunology
          • Oncology
          • Rare Disease
          • Vaccines
        • Therapeutic Modalities and Technology Platforms
          • Drug Safety
          • Gene Therapy
          • Target Sciences
          • Precision Medicine
          • Medicinal Sciences
            • Biologics Product & Process Development
            • Biotherapeutics Discovery
            • Medicine Design
            • Small Molecule Product & Process Development
        • Emerging Science
          • DNA Damage Response
          • Microsatellite Repeat Expansions
          • Senescence
      • Partnering Models
    • Candidate Through Commercialization
      • Focus Areas
        • Internal Medicine
        • Inflammation and Immunology
        • Oncology
        • Rare Disease
        • Vaccines
        • Hospital
    • Pfizer CentreOne
    • Pfizer Ventures
      • Our portfolio

Healthcare Professionals

  • Healthcare Professionals

Connect with Us

  • Connect with Us
    • Email
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy (NEW)
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
  • Your Health

    • Healthy Living
      • Brain & Nervous System
      • Cardiovascular Health
      • Cold & Flu
      • Digestive Health
      • Healthier Aging
      • Living Tobacco Free
      • Men’s Health
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition & Fitness
      • Pediatric Health
      • Respiratory Health
      • Skin Health
      • Vaccines & Prevention
      • Women’s Health

    • Disease & Condition
      • Cancer
      • Cardiovascular Diseases & Conditions
      • Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
      • Immune System Diseases & Conditions
      • Infections & Infectious Diseases
      • Neurological Diseases & Conditions
      • Menopause
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccine-Related Conditions
      • Skin Diseases & Conditions
      • Atopic Dermatitis
      • Cardiovascular Disease
      • Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Resources

    • Managing your health
      • Caregiving
      • Evaluating Health Information
      • Tracking Your Health
      • Your Medicines
      • Health Literacy

    • Wellness
    Hot Topics

    Maintaining Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19

    Emotional Well-Being Tips for People Living with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions During COVID-19
  • Our Science

    • Driven to Discover the cure

    • Focus Areas
      • Internal Medicine
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Anti Infectives

    • Product Pipeline

    • Clinical Trials
      • Guide to Clinical Trials
      • Find a Trial
      • Expanded Access & Compassionate Use
      • Clinical Trials in Children
      • Partnering with Pfizer
      • Trial Data & Results
      • Research Integrity & Transparency
      • Diversity in Clinical Trials

    • R&D Platforms
      • Biosimilars
      • Gene Therapy
      • Medicinal Sciences
      • Precision Medicine
      • Maternal Immunization

    • Collaboration
      • Partner with Pfizer

    • Research sites

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Resources
      • All COVID-19 Updates
      • Vaccine Efforts
      • Antiviral Efforts
      • Partnerships & Anti-Infective Efforts
      • Supporting the Fight Against COVID-19
    HOT TOPICS

    MRNA VS. CONVENTIONAL VACCINES

    What Makes an RNA Vaccine Different From a Conventional Vaccine?
  • Our People

    • Meet The Experts
      • Scientists
      • Internal Medicine – Metabolic Disease
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Medical Professionals

    • The Journey

    • Leadership
      • Executives
      • Board Members
      • Company Fact Sheet

    • Diverse Perspectives
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Supplier Diversity
    HOT TOPICS

    Meet our new Chief Patient Officer, Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron

    dr_richardson_300x170.jpg

    Working Together to Empower Women

    VizagWomen_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Purpose

    • Commitment to Global Health
      • Expanding Access
      • Strengthening Health Systems
      • Providing Disaster & Humanitarian Relief
      • Unleashing the Power of Our Colleagues
      • Highlighting Individual Voices

    • Protecting People and the Environment
      • Pfizer's Green Journey
      • Product Stewardship
      • EHS Governance
      • EHS Supply Chain
      • Key Performance Indicators
      • Health & Safety
      • Human Rights

    • Positions on Health Policies
      • Ready for Cures
      • How does Pfizer price medicines?
      • Value of Medicines
      • Policy Positions
      • Creating Cures Through Facility Investments

    • Transparency
      • Working with Health Care Professionals
      • Transparency in Grants
      • Code of Conduct
      • Corporate Compliance
      • Sales and Marketing Compliance

    • Independent Grants
      • Competitive Grants Program
      • Independent Medical Education
      • Investigator Sponsored Research
      • Quality Improvement
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Grants

    • Contributions & Partnerships
      • Healthcare Charitable Contributions
      • Lobbying & Political Contributions
    HOT TOPICS

    Pfizer Women’s Resource Group

    Media Name: IWD_Pull_up_Banner_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Products

    • Product listing

    • How drugs are made
      • Branded vs. Generic
      • Biologics & Biosimilars
      • Commitment to Quality

    • Distributors
      • Pfizer Distributors
      • Greenstone Distributors

    • Medicine Safety
      • Reporting Adverse Events
      • Making Good Treatment Choices
      • Partnering With Patients
      • Health Literacy
      • Medicine Safety Tips for Patients
      • Counterfeiting
      • Unused Medicines

    • Safety Data Sheets

    • Medical Information Contacts

    • Pfizer Global Supply
    HOT TOPICS

    Universal vs. Single Payer Healthcare

    Media Name: universal_healthcare300x170.jpg
  • Careers

    • Working Here
      • Mission & Purpose
      • Culture
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Career Growth & Colleague Development
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Ensuring Corporate Responsibility
    • Search Jobs
    • Student & Early Career
      • Postdoctoral Program
      • US Summer Student Worker Program
      • Opportunities for Veterans
    • Pfizer365.com
    • Our Hiring & Recruiting Process
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Tips for Interviewing at Pfizer
    • Connect With Us
  • Investors

    • Investors Overview
      • Why Invest / Our Story
      • Prospective Investors
      • Fact Sheet
    • Events & Presentations
    • Financials
      • Quarterly Reports
      • Annual Reports
      • SEC Filings
      • Interactive Data Filings
    • Investor News
    • Stock Information
      • Historical Price Lookup
      • Investment Calculator
      • Historical Stock Chart & Data
      • Dividend & Split History
      • Stock FAQs
    • Governance
      • Board Committees and Charters
      • The Pfizer Board Policies
      • Corporate Governance FAQs
      • Contact Our Directors
    • Shareholder Services
      • Stock FAQs
      • Advisory Information
      • Cost Basis Calculator
  • News

    • Contact Media Relations
    • Podcasts
    • Press Kits & Downloads
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
  • Partners
  • Footer links

    • Footer Aside Section1
      • CAREER-SEEKERS
      • INVESTORS
      • News & Media
      • Partners
    • Footer Aside Section 2
      • Healthcare Professionals
      • Business To Business
      • Change Region
      • Sitemap
    • Footer Aside Section3
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Linkedin
      • Instagram
      • Youtube
    • Footer Aside Section4
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
YOUR HEALTH/ What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
April 5, 2017

By Phillip Chappell, MD, MBA and Nick DeMartinis, MD

It is estimated that about 1.2% of all Americans have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a serious anxiety condition. Symptoms of the disease may be difficult to understand and often first occur in young adulthood.

So what’s it like to have OCD? A person with OCD is gripped with obsessions (uncontrollable thoughts) and ruled by compulsions (repetitive urges and actions). Unwanted and upsetting thoughts are intensely active and often disruptive of normal daily events. The urge to perform certain acts over and over comes to feel like the only way to avert danger, relieve worry, and reduce obsessive thinking.

Trying To Control Extreme Fear and Worry
Imagine being overtaken with an irrational worry that someone will break into your house, so you make sure the door is locked 10 or 20 times before being able to run an errand. Or what if you so feared that your house would burn down that you felt compelled to check that the stove is turned off 20 or 30 times after someone has used it? 

Other compulsions may not seem so outwardly connected to worry, but they work the same way. These may include turning a light switch on and off many times, repeatedly tapping the frame of a doorway before walking through it, washing one’s hands dozens of times, repeating certain words, or counting one’s steps.

You can see that OCD is a disease that is not easy to live with. For sure, the disease can feel disruptive and difficult to understand. OCD behaviors can  interrupt daily activities and even seem irritating to others. It’s important to remember that for someone with OCD, the ultimate reason for these seemingly strange behaviors is simply to create feelings of safety and comfort.

Telltale Signs and Symptoms
Think you or someone in your family may have OCD? As a rule of thumb, symptoms usually occur at least one hour each day, or are significant enough to cause overwhelming distress and impairment. Here’s what to look for:

Obsessive thoughts:

  • Intrusive, persistent worries
  • Fear of doing harm to oneself or others
  • Fear of blurting out unpleasant thoughts
  • Fear of vomiting
  • Fear of contamination or germs
  • Troubling, upsetting, intrusive images that won’t go away

Compulsions, or urges:

  • Ritual behaviors that are hard to explain and understand
  • Repeated hand washing
  • Repetitive tapping or touching of objects or people
  • Counting or repeating words (silently or aloud)
  • Performing simple acts a certain number of times to dispel worry
  • Following rigid rules as a response to obsessive fears

Where To Get Help
You can start by asking for help from your family doctor. Your doctor may refer you to a trained social worker, psychiatrist, or psychologist.

Certain aspects of OCD symptoms may need to be discussed at length. Questions from a mental health provider may include:

  • How often do obsessive thoughts occur?
  • When do fears and worries become most overwhelming?
  • What rituals are used, how often, and what time of day?
  • What impact do symptoms have on daily life?
  • What fears do repetitive acts aim to relieve?

Learning To Manage Symptoms
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most commonly recommended treatment. With CBT, people with OCD learn to manage their thoughts and prevent the need for certain disruptive behaviors. The goal of therapy is to replace compulsive behaviors with new more manageable behaviors. CBT can involve:

  • Talk therapy with CBT-trained therapists
  • Practice exercises for taking different actions when fears arise
  • Home activities for managing specific symptoms

In some cases, people with OCD may take medications in addition to receiving CBT. This may be especially true when other common symptoms accompany the disease, such as social anxiety or depression. Young people with OCD may also have specific health conditions requiring treatment. These can include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and certain tic disorders.

What’s important is that with proper treatment and management, many people with OCD can lead functional and healthy lives. The key is recognizing symptoms and seeking help early.

Phillip Chappell, MD, MBA, is a Senior Director Clinical Lead for Pfizer Global Clinical Affairs.

Nick DeMartinis, MD, is a Director of the Neuroscience Research Unit for Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development.

Visit Get Healthy Stay Healthy for more information on Your Health

Related Hot Topics
Albert Bourla Reflects on the One Year Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Albert Bourla Reflects on the One Year Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Chronic Stress and How to Manage It
Chronic Stress and How to Manage It
Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder
Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder
Understanding Racial Microaggression and Its Effect on Mental Health
Understanding Racial Microaggression and Its Effect on Mental Health
Living with Alopecia: A Young Woman's Path to Self-Acceptance
Living with Alopecia: A Young Woman's Path to Self-Acceptance
Emotional Well-Being Tips for People Living with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions During COVID-19
Emotional Well-Being Tips for People Living with Chronic Inflammatory…
Winter Blues Mobile
The Science Behind the Winter Blues
Media Name: 7-Social-Connect-What-does-it-mean_300x170px.jpg
Social Connectedness – What does it mean?
Tags
Healthy Living
Mental Health
Show
Hide

Footer menu

  • Your Health
    • Healthy Living
    • Disease Conditions
    • Manage Your Health
  • Our Science
    • Therapeutic Areas
    • Product Pipeline
    • Clinical Trials
    • R&D Platforms
    • Collaboration
    • Research SItes
  • Our People
    • Meet the Experts
    • The Journey
    • Leadership
    • Diverse Perspectives
  • Our Purpose
    • Commitment To Global Health
    • Positions on Health Policies
    • Transparency
    • Contributions & Partnerships
  • Our Products
    • Product Listing
    • How Drugs are Made
    • Distributors
    • Global Product Information Contacts

Footer aside

  • Footer Aside Section1
    • CAREER-SEEKERS
    • INVESTORS
    • News & Media
    • Partners
  • Footer Aside Section 2
    • Healthcare Professionals
    • Business To Business
    • Change Region
    • Sitemap
  • Footer Aside Section3
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
  • Footer Aside Section4
    • Contact Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
Pfizer Logo Footer

Copyright © 2002-2021 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. This information—including product information—is intended only for residents of the United States.
The products discussed herein may have different labeling in different countries.