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Mental Health & Chemical Dependency Services
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

What is OCD?

Everyone performs certain mental rituals or act out daily routines for things such as cleanliness, health and safety.  

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer from unwanted and intrusive thoughts that they can't seem to get out of their heads (obsessions) and feel compelled to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines (compulsions) to try and ease anxiety. Most people who have OCD are aware that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational, but feel powerless to stop them. Some spend hours at a time performing complicated rituals to ward off persistent, unwelcome thoughts, feelings or images. Others live in terror that they will accidentally do something wrong, such as harm someone, blurt out an improper statement or throw something out by mistake.

Some of the most common obsessive and compulsive behaviors someone with OCD experiences are listed below. 

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Common obsessions:

• Constant, irrational worry about dirt, germs or contamination
• Nagging feelings that something bad will happen if certain items aren't in an exact place, position or order
• Fear that one's negative thoughts will cause personal harm or harm to a loved one
• Preoccupation with losing or throwing away objects with little or no value
• Thoughts about accidentally or purposefully injuring another person
• Fixation on distressing religious, violent or sexual thoughts or images

Common compulsions:

Cleaning:

Repeatedly washing one's hands, bathing or cleaning household items for hours at a time

Neatness & Ordering:

Inability to relay or move on to other tasks unless everything is neat and/or in order

Checking:

Checking and re-checking, countless times, that the doors are locked, the stove is turned off, the hairdryer is unplugged, etc.

Repeating or Counting:

Inability to stop repeating a name, phrase, tune or counting things

Slowness:

Excessive, painstakingly slow and methodical approach to daily activities

Hoarding:

Saving useless items such as old newspapers or magazines, bottle caps or rubber bands

What Causes OCD?

Researchers used to think OCD was a result of family attitudes or childhood experiences, but that is not the case. Growing evidence suggests that OCD results from abnormalities in the brain, although environmental factors could also play a role. OCD appears to run in families and may have a genetic link, but no one is exactly sure what causes a person to experience OCD.

Treatment

Buffalo General Medical Center offers the only comprehensive outpatient OCD treatment program in Western New York. It is important to remember that there is no single “right” treatment. What works for one person may or may not be the best choice for someone else. Below is a list of some treatments offered in either individual or group sessions:

• Assessment and evaluation of symptoms
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Exposure therapy
• Anxiety management
• Medication management
• A combination of the above

Most individuals who seek treatment for OCD and other anxiety disorders experience significant improvement and enjoy a better quality of life.

OCD can interfere significantly with a person’s self-esteem, relationships, work, or social activities. Several hours each day may be spent focusing on obsessive thoughts and performing seemingly senseless rituals, making normal daily activities difficult. People with OCD will often go to extreme lengths to hide their behavior, even from friends and loved ones. If left untreated, OCD can take over one’s life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Program
Outpatient Behavioral Health Services
1010 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
(716) 859-4706