Experiences of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health problem characterized by persistent obsessions and compulsions. This article provides insights into experiences of OCD through a qualitative, thematic analysis performed upon a set of interviews with people with OCD. Four themes were found as central in the participants' descriptions of OCD episodes: 1) space, 2) the body, 3) objects and 4) interactions. The findings also show that episodes of OCD can be grouped into three broad categories: 1) activity episodes, that revolve around everyday tasks, 2) state episodes, that are concerned with the self and identity, and 3) object episodes, that are concerned with the effects of objects upon the self. The relationship of this three-way classification of OCD episodes to existing cognitive models of OCD is discussed. The study also demonstrates the value of categorising episodes, rather than people, into subtypes of OCD so that intra-participant variation can be highlighted.

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative

“…Consistent with some quantitative [ 53 , 54 ] and qualitative work [ 11 , 13 , 17 ], several participants commented on the impact of their OCD on attendance and performance at school/university, and/or work. In their study with nine British individuals living with OCD, the authors identified the theme of ‘Failing at life’ and described this as the overwhelming impact of the disorder on education and careers [ 13 ].…”

“…Our study is part of a growing body of qualitative literature on OCD using exploratory approaches to better understand the perspectives of individuals living with OCD [ 11 – 13 , 15 , 17 ]. In her paper, Knapton [ 11 ] argues that the majority of studies on OCD are quantitative in nature and that our understanding of OCD, “has largely come from participants’ judgments of pre-defined and inflexible statements rather than from extended and unrestricted descriptions”, and that this approach limits, “intra-participant variation” (p. 2). In the current study, the findings provide instances of consistent and contrasting accounts of the experience of OCD—highlighting the heterogeneity of the disorder, and the importance of exploring individual perspectives.…”

“…Furthermore, other studies have also demonstrated that familial responses to OCD vary, and in some instances may become a source of conflict that can contribute to even poorer relationship functioning, marital discord, and divorce [ 63 – 65 ]. The inability to maintain a meaningful connection with others limits patients’ access to emotional support and is likely to perpetuate feelings of hopelessness and helplessness [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 17 ].…”

“…For example, some insights into the experiences of OCD are seen in a qualitative study from India [ 17 ]. In this study participants articulated that their obsessions and compulsions often made it difficult to maintain a connection with others which limited their access to emotional support and often lead to feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, and impacted on self-esteem [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 17 ]. Findings such as these begin to provide deeper insights into individuals’ experiences of the impact of OCD on their lives.…”

Dynamic conceptualizations of threat in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

“…The participants' scores are then analyzed statistically and subtypes are posited based on the clustering of various symptoms (e.g., Calamari et al, 2004 ). While these methods have shed some light on subtypes of OCD, it is also possible to investigate subtypes through qualitative approaches (e.g., Knapton, 2015 ;Van Schalkwyk, Bhalla, Griepp, Kelmendi, Davidson, & Pittenger, 2015). Collecting open-ended accounts of OCD experiences through interviews or writing samples allows participants to describe OCD in their own words without forcing their experiences to fi t infl exible statements (Van Schalkwyk et al, 2015 ).…”