obsessive-compulsive

ob·ses·sive-com·pul·sive disorder

O5015650 (əb-sĕs′ĭv-kəm-pŭl′sĭv, ŏb-)n. Abbr. OCD A psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of either obsessions (repeated, unwanted, often distressing thoughts), or compulsions (the feeling of being driven to repeatedly perform certain behaviors or mental activities), or both, with the symptoms being severe enough to impair normal functioning.

ob·ses′sive-com·pul′sive adj.

obses′sive-compul′sive

adj. 1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by the persistent intrusion of unwanted thoughts accompanied by ritualistic actions, regarded as a form of neurosis. n. 2. a person with obsessive-compulsive characteristics. [1925–30]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	obsessive-compulsive - a person with obsessive-compulsive characteristicsmental case, neurotic, psychoneurotic - a person suffering from neurosis
Adj.	1.	obsessive-compulsive - characterized by obsessions and compulsions; "obsessive-compulsive neurosis"psychoneurotic, neurotic - affected with emotional disorder

Translations

obsessive-compulsive

[ob-ses´iv-kom-pul´siv] pertaining to obsessions and compulsions, to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or to obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.o.-c. disorder OCD; an anxiety disorder consisting of two symptoms, obsession and compulsion; although they are different, they are closely related and often occur in the same person. An obsession is a recurrent and persistent thought or desire. It is not voluntary and is distressing to the patient, but although the patient tries to suppress or ignore it, it is very difficult to eliminate from the mind. A compulsion is an uncontrollable urge to perform some repetitive and stereotyped action. This action is not an end in itself but serves as a substitute for unacceptable unconscious ideas and impulses. Although the patient does not know the reason for this action, failure to perform it leads to increasing anxiety, which can be relieved by giving in to the compulsion. Eventually, after repeatedly failing to resist the compulsion, the patient may lose the desire to resist it.
The mild forms of these three symptoms are familiar to most people. For example, most children play the game of avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk. As adults, they find themselves doing this occasionally, perhaps when thinking over a problem. Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, might feel real anxiety if they step on a crack in the sidewalk.
In obsessive-compulsive disorder, the patient deflects, or displaces the unresolved conflict onto an external object or action as a substitute. By doing this, the person tries to control the conflict magically and eliminate anxiety. The obsession or ritual represents a smokescreen which the mind throws up to keep the inner conflict from becoming conscious. This is not the same as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, which is a personality disorder.o.-c. personality disorder a personality disorder characterized by an emotionally constricted manner that is unduly conventional, serious, rigid, stubborn, and stingy, by preoccupation with trivial details, rules, order, organization, schedules, and lists to the point that the major point of an activity is lost or task completion is delayed, by reluctance to delegate tasks or work cooperatively unless everything is done one's own way, and by excessive devotion to work and productivity to the detriment of interpersonal relationships. This is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder.