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How Dangerous Is OCD & Is It Contagious?

Many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often doubt, “How can they control/manage to have OCD thoughts? It is important to know that most individuals as a result of occupational stress, unfortunate family events are forced to undergo unnecessary, weird and even distressing thoughts on an everyday basis.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, only about 20 percent of patients will become healed on their own. OCD can rapidly become all-intense, and even physically immobilizing.

Is OCD A Dangerous Condition?

OCD is a curable disorder, but we would be neglectful if we didn’t emphasize some of the ways that OCD can and does impact on many people. When a person is struck with OCD, he/she may be able to do little instead of spending larger time on the obsessions and compulsions. OCD patients generally have a very diminished quality of life since the disorder occupies most of their day, and the warning signs and indicators are often distressing to associates and loved ones.

Individuals with OCD are not insane or dangerous and do not carry out their distressful thoughts. Most individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder know that their thoughts are unwanted or unreasonable but the fear they feel makes the feelings hard to neglect. OCD is much more prevalent than was earlier expected.1,2

Individuals with OCD typically bother that they will instigate injury by thoughtlessly harming someone just because they can. Yet, individuals with OCD often assess their feelings as dangerous and excessively crucial, so when an unintentional thought involving harm penetrates the OCD patient’s mind, the OCD sufferer starts to feel more concerned.

Studies show that there is an increased risk of death by both natural and unnatural causes among persons with OCD. Comorbid anxiety syndromes, despair, or substance use syndromes increased the risk much higher. In addition, most of these disorders have constantly been noticed to be related to a reduced life expectancy caused by severe distress, high levels of disability, and disruption of a person’s public and career performance.

The widespread rates of mental disorder in patients with OCD are drastically high (more than 75%) and are regarded as one of the most vital aspects that can worsen the outcome for individuals with OCD. Individuals with the disorder syndrome have extended setbacks in getting effective therapies and if the condition left untreated, OCD sufferers have severe effects, the disorder becomes persistent and eventually results in chronic ailment.3,4

Is OCD Contagious?

Many diseases are contagious. You would often be cautious to prevent your colleague’s sneeze, for instance, and to wash your hands after caring for your sick father. But is this related to mental illness?

Although it sounds crazy that anxiety and autism could be carried through contacts, it is! People’s emotions are affected by the emotions of family and friends around them. This is referred to as emotional contagions. People who suffer from psychiatric disorders come across a range of disputes, often including humiliation and social separation.

However, many theories show proven evidence that individual’s opinions about the communication of mental illness particular OCD from one individual to another are almost undoubtedly incorrect.

There are different types of OCD. OCDs are generally not contagious but can definitely influence an individual’s life in several factors. You can’t adjust the truth that you have OCD, and OCD isn’t contagious – nobody including your family or buddies can acquire the condition. OCD is a psychiatric disorder that is either caused by work pressure or other traumatic life events (nevertheless anxiety can make OCD symptoms more severe).5,6

References:

  1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder https://www.ocdaction.org.uk/support-info/about-ocd
  2. About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder- Aggressive Obsessions http://www.ocdtypes.com/harming-ocd.php
  3. Mortality Among Persons With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Denmark https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5082974/
  4. Information on OCD and Compulsive Behaviors in Adults http://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/information-for-adults
  5. Is OCD contagious? The implications of caring for a spouse with OCD https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290129552_Is_OCD_contagious_The_implications_of_caring_for_a_spouse_with_OCD
  6. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders May Be Catching https://www.newsmax.com/Health/Brain-Health/obsessive-compulsive-OCD-germ-contagious/2009/08/17/id/475081/

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:January 14, 2020

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