OCD is a specific anxiety disorder that is characterized by obsessive thoughts that the sufferer tries to combat with repetitive rituals. There are other diseases that have similarities to OCD; these diseases are called OCD spectrum disorders. Usually the different OCD spectrum disorders have an element of obsessive behavior.
Learning what disorders fall under this category can be helpful as similar treatment can be used to help a sufferer overcome the disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy is seen as one of the more effective methods to deal with an OCD anxiety disorder. This type of therapy can be used to treat other disorders that are similar to OCD.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an obsession with the appearance of the body. A person who suffers from this condition may obsess about a flaw in their appearance on their body and feel a disproportionate sense of anxiety about this flaw. Sometimes the flaw is completely imaginary but the anxiety is no less real.
This is one of the OCD spectrum disorders that include compulsions. A person may avoid mirrors or spend hours examining a flaw. A sufferer might also wear clothes to try and hide the perceived flaw. Cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective in helping someone with BDD.
Trichotillomania is one of the OCD spectrum disorders that is not often associated with OCD, but does have similarities in that it involves compulsive behavior. A person suffering from this disorder will pull out hair, constantly, to the point that hair loss is noticeable.
Stress and emotional tension can be a trigger for this behavior. However this is not always the case, a person can start pulling hair from their body even when they are relaxed without feeling stressed. This behavior can sometimes be unconscious; treating the disorder relies on helping the individual to become more conscious of the habit.
Hypochondria is one of the more commonly known OCD spectrum disorders. A person with this disorder may visit doctors constantly, sometimes seeing more than one doctor in a day. A sufferer may also think they are suffering from a serious health problem when they feel they are experiencing a symptom.
Someone with this type of OCD spectrum disorders might think they are having a heart attack if they experience mild chest pains. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best way to treat hypochondria due to its many similarities to OCD. The obsessions and compulsions of hypochondria respond well to this kind of therapy.
