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Obsessive-compulsive disorder - Symptom

Alternative Names

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis; OCD

Symptoms:

Obsessions or compulsions that are not due to medical illness or drug use
Obsessions or compulsions that cause major distress or interfere with everyday life

An example of obsessive-compulsive disorder is excessive, repeated handwashing to ward off infection.

The person usually recognizes that the behavior is excessive or unreasonable.

Signs and tests:

Your own description of the behavior can help diagnose the disorder. A physical exam can rule out physical causes, and a psychiatric evaluation can rule out other mental disorders.

Questionnaires, such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, can help diagnose OCD and track the progress of treatment.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Reviewed last on: 2/6/2008
Christos Ballas, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Moore DP, Jefferson JW. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:167-170.

Rakel RE, ed. Textbook of Family Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2005:1348-1350.

Koran LM, Hanna GL, Hollander E, Nestadt G, Simpson HB, et al. Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:5-53.

Denys D. Pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2006;29:553-584.

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