How common is OCD?
\nIs OCD more common now?
\nIs OCD an addiction?
\nWhat Type of Person is affected by OCD?
\nCan OCD be cured?
\nIs hoarding part of OCD?<\/p>\n
However these figures could potentially be nearer one million if we assume that the majority of sufferers will involve a loved one in their rituals (i.e. seeking reassurance).
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We are frequently asked by journalists if more people now suffer with OCD. Although OCD is frequently talked about now, this doesn’t mean it is more common now so we don\u2019t think that OCD is any more common now. Going back 10-years, the estimates of OCD were reported to be 2-3% of the population, however more recent research suggests that figure was over exaggerated, hence the 1-1.8% figures now used. The reason people have the misconception that OCD is more common now is because of mass media and social media now making much more references to OCD, sadly often inaccurate, when 10-15 years ago OCD was rarely mentioned anywhere.<\/p>\n
In summary, we don\u2019t think OCD is more common today than it used to be, it is just talked about more (which in itself sometimes is counter-productive).
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Sex, gambling, drugs, alcohol, shopping, football may be compelling obsessions\/compulsions – but these are NOT<\/strong> OCD. They start out to be pleasurable interests of choice without anxiety or fear of consequence and are therefore would never be part of clinical OCD.<\/p>\n People with OCD suffer from more mundane, non-pleasurable compulsions: things like repeated and stereotyped checking, counting, ordering or cleaning which never start out to be pleasurable and cause significant anxiety and disorder. The experience of OCD can be traced historically, cross-culturally and across a broad social spectrum and does not appear to restrict itself to any specific grouping of individuals per se. On the contrary, increased availability of information show numerous examples of OCD and its occurrence in the lives of various well-known figures, this observation implies a negligible difference in terms of the disorder\u2019s incidence rates across race, creed and class.<\/p>\n OCD affects males as frequently as females. Its mean age of onset is around 20 years old but the disorder\u2019s onset is reported to occur earlier in men than women.<\/p>\n OCD will impact on anyone regardless of age or ethnic background.
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