In America, about one in every 40 adults will experience variations o obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD in their lifetime. On average, people are 19 years old when they are diagnosed with OCD. Just like there is medication for ADHD and anxiety in adults, there are also medications for OCD. In fact, with the right course of treatment, the symptoms of OCD can be quite manageable.
Building healthy relationships is important to a person’s sense of well-being. People engaging in healthy relationships are more likely to feel happier and more satisfied with their own lives. They can increase a person’s sense of self-worth and belonging and make them feel less alone.
Is It Hard to Form Relationships Living With OCD?
People with OCD can have a difficult time establishing and maintaining romantic relationships. Studies show that many with OCD report a significant amount of stress associated with the relationship.
Aside from traditional OCD, there is a variation known as R-OCD, which stands for relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder. Relationship OCD involves people having intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors toward their romantic partners. These thoughts can revolve around potential thoughts and fears about the relationship.
Maintain Open & Honest Communication
Both romantic and familial relationships can suffer greatly from a lack of communication. Sometimes it can be hard to communicate effectively when you’re dealing with ADHD symptoms in teens and OCD symptoms, as well. Whether children, teens or adults, communicating effectively is a key to managing symptoms of any anxiety disorder.
Because maintaining strong lines of communication is crucial to a healthy relationship, people have spent a lot of time reflecting on how best to talk to one another. One thing to consider is that there’s no particularly correct time to share. There are many variations of OCD and many factors within those variations that make prescribing any kind of universal structured conversation unfeasible. Instead, lean on your understanding of your own particular relationships to make determinations on the best times to talk about how OCD is affecting things.
People with OCD tend to feel the need to share, or confess, all of the details of their obsessions. It could be healthier to establish a back and forth in which the more general nature of the scenario is discussed, rather than dwelling in the minutia.
A big part of the purpose of communicating is to help learn what kind of supports should be in place for those with OCD. When to provide reassurance could be a point of contention. You don’t want to accidentally enable your loved ones when they are experiencing an OCD episode, so continuing to learn about OCD will help to better understand where and when to involve yourself.
OCD brings with it symptoms that can make it hard to establish and maintain close relationships. OCD irritability, an intolerance for uncertainty and unwanted, aggressive thoughts about people can seriously hinder a person’s ability and desire for close relationships. Pursuing the means by which to overcome OCD symptoms and develop relationships can add a healthy dimension to a person’s life. Visit a health and wellness website to learn about the types of medication available for OCD management and other anxiety disorders today for a better tomorrow.
