Diagnosis Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Diagnosis Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - OCD

There is no laboratory test for OCD. Diagnosis is made with the following:

Close clinical examination of emotional past
Criteria for diagnosis
Current symptoms
Differential diagnosis
Examination of family history (see risk factors)

OCD can be mild or severe. There are four essential factors in the diagnosis of OCD that distinguish OCD from ordinary, mildly intrusive worries or brooding. They are the following:

Symptoms cause significant distress
Symptoms take up more than 1 hour a day
Symptoms significantly interfere with work, relationships, or daily functioning
The person recognizes that his or her obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable or excessive

Differential diagnosis of requires distinguishing OCD from other psychiatric disorders. The following psychiatric disorders feature symptoms that may, at first, resemble OCD:

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All of these conditions are differentiated from OCD by type and severity of symptoms. For example, although schizophrenic delusions may resemble obsessions common in OCD, people experiencing delusions do not have insight into their content. They believe the delusions involve external influence and are not the product of their own mind. Some of these disorders may occur with OCD (see course and prognosis).

RELATED LINKS AND INFO

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Many Suffer Shame of OCD Needlessly
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Adults - Symptoms
Risk Factors and Causes of OCD
Scrupulosity: Religious Obsessions and Compulsions
Course and Prognosis for OCD
Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents

More about: generalized anxiety disorder ~ phobias ~ panic disorder ~ post-traumatic stress disorder ~ obsessive-compulsive disorder

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