OCD and Relationships



Posted: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

by Kent Pinkerton

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a psychiatric disorder, more clearly, an anxiety disorder. The symptoms include the subject's obsessive, repetitive, distressing, intrusive thoughts and related compulsions in the form of tasks or rituals to minimize the obsession. OCD becomes especially worse when it causes harm to a relationship. The impact of OCD on interpersonal relations needs to be measured early in the diagnostic process.

An OCD victim really needs the assistance of someone that he can talk to and believe. He often feels helpless in knowing that others do not try to understand the consequences of his illness. The patient can feel cheated when personal rules are accidentally ignored by friends, spouse, or family members. The same situation occurs when the illness is the main reference within the relationship.

If a non-OCD person is unable to provide the best way to deal with things, the patient feels extreme difficulties to cope with the illness, leading to higher obsessive thoughts. In the case of a married couple, the non-OCD person is often compelled to assist the OCD partner by accommodating his illogical practices. More clearly, he is unwilling to perform anything that makes the illness worse. This is a situation known as “tough love" and in most times, this theory can be pushed to its limits.

An OCD victim often needs the support of the other partner, particularly while dealing with compulsions. However, this makes him feel guilty for disrupting his loved one's life in such a powerful way. It is important to educate family members about the importance of the disorder, its indications, and the amount of distress on the sufferer. Family members must also develop ways to manage the illness with care.

OCD and relationships is a much debated topic. Many couples and families use it as a real or imagined excuse for breaking up their relationships. However, there are many persons who live together, taking OCD as a challenge. Anyhow, it is very difficult to handle the signs of the illness or share the pain and despair that it brings. Love, the greatest feeling, is the best solution to hold any relationship or family together in times of crisis.

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