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What is the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum?
 There are other kinds of problems that are not formally referred to as anxiety disorders, but there are a number of them that have something in common with the anxiety disorder OCD. Along with OCD, these problems belong to what is called the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum (the OC Spectrum). Again, though the following examples are not meant to take the place of a professional evaluation, what appears below may help you determine if you may have one of the following OC Spectrum Disorders.
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Do you twirl your hair, play with it, run your fingers through it, or gently tug on it at times... |
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OR... |
| B. |
Do you knowingly or unknowingly pull out your hair, examine it, play with it, or put it in your mouth, and do this to the point at which you create bald spots or significant thinning?
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If you answered "B," you may be experiencing Compulsive Hair Pulling or Trichotillomania (pronounced Tricko-tillo-mania).
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| A. |
Do you occasionally rub or lightly pick at imperfections on your skin, but stop yourself before causing irritation or bleeding... |
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OR... |
| B. |
Do you pick at pimples, dry skin, scars, scabs, or other flaws on your skin to the point of causing noticeable damage or bleeding?
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If you answered "B," you may be experiencing Compulsive Skin Picking. |
| A. |
Do you occasionally bite a rough spot on a nail, but stop yourself within a moment or two... |
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OR... |
| B. |
Do you bite your nails to the point of causing noticeable damage or bleeding?
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If you answered "B," you may be experiencing Compulsive Nail Biting. |
| A. |
Do you sometimes wish you looked different, were "prettier," more "handsome," had better looking skin, a "better" shaped nose, or more or less hair... |
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OR... |
| B. |
Are you preoccupied with some small "defect" in your appearance that has caused you to spend long periods of time worrying about it, examining it in a mirror, avoiding having it be seen, and/or "correcting" it, despite reassurance that you look "OK?" |
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If you answered "B," you may be experiencing Body Dysmorphic Disorder. |
| A. |
Does it sometimes cross your mind that you might have a serious illness, particularly after reading about it or hearing about it on the news... |
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OR... |
| B. |
Are you preoccupied with the fear that you have or may have a serious illness, such as thinking that you have a brain tumor after having had a headache, despite the fact that you were examined and reassured by your doctor that you are healthy?
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If you answered "B," you may be experiencing Hypochondriasis. |
Also included in the OC Spectrum are Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder (Compulsive Body Building), Tourette's Disorder and other Tic Disorders, Asperger's Disorder, Compulsive Shopping, Compulsive Gambling, Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, and Compulsive Internet Use, all of which are characterized by repetitive behaviors. A combination of CBT and meds is often the treatment of choice for all of the OC Spectrum Disorders.
Other kinds of problems are also thought by some people in the mental health field to belong to the OC Spectrum, but there is not yet a consensus on the subject. More research needs to be done in order to determine in what ways these problems are similar and in what ways they are different, in order to better understand how to treat them both with psychotherapy and with medication. |
