12-22-2008, 06:51 PM
OCD stands for obsessive compusive disorder, and, as the name suggests, it's characterized by obsessive and/or compusive behaviors. Ok, serious, though, people with OCD feel that they have to do things a certain why, and have to follow certain routines, or something bad will happen to them. Breaking those routines will often result in a panic attack. It's worth noting that these routines aren't normal things with a practicle purpose. For example, I always check to make sure I have my key before I leave my room, but that's not a sign of OCD even though it's upsetting to leave my room without doing that, because the purpose is clearly to ensure that I don't lock myself out. A person with OCD, on the other hand, might have to, in addition to checking that they have their key, tap the door handle exactly nine times before they close it. And if they don't, rather than just worrying they might be locked out, they would show physiciological signs of panic, possibly even to the point of passing out. Besides compulsive routines, people with OCD might feel panicky if things aren't arranged a certain way. They also tend to have repeative thoughts of various sorts that go well beyond normal preoccupation with something you might find worrying.ADD is attention deficit disorder, and is characterized by difficulty staying focused on a task. It has very little to do with OCD.
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