How Do You Get Diagnosed With OCD?
Professionals say that something becomes a condition when it starts to considerably interfere with every day life. Once family life, Social Life/Relationships or work are being disrupted for a long period of time, then there is reason for concern and time to find a therapist who will be able to assess and help you properly.
Online/ Magazine Tests.
There are many Online/Magazine/Book- Tests that can help you figure whether or not you might have OCD. But you will always see that these tests add a disclaimer in which they say something along the lines of: "any outcome isn't a substitute for a professional's opinion."
So when or if you decide on using such Tests, please keep this in mind.
If a test and/or other sources of information help you to realize you might have OCD,
find the help of a therapist. That is the only way to be sure, guessing and assuming what you may or may not have will do no good. So act now, you deserve to know what is causing you the distress.
Is There a Laboratory Test For OCD?
No, for now there is no still no such thing as a Laboratory Test that will reveal whether or not you have OCD.
Then How Is the Diagnosis For OCD Made?
Since no straight forward test is available, the following steps are taken to come to a proper diagnosis.
- Close clinical examination of emotional past.
- Criteria for diagnosis.
- Current symptoms.
- Differential diagnosis.
- Examination of family history (see risk factors).
Since OCD can range from mild to severe, four essential factors are used 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.
What If You Think Someone Else Might Have OCD?
When trying to figure out if someone you care about has OCD, it is important to realize that there may be aspects you are unaware of and that may play an important role in figuring out what the person is dealing with. This is especially important with kids since they don't have the same ability to express their feelings and so they will benefit much from being assessed by a professional who is not only a child psychologist but is also knowledgeable about OCD.
Sadly many people who have OCD wait a long time before seeking help, their thoughts and actions seem crazy to them and they try hard to hide them. They may hide this succesfully for years, but this isn't them coping, this is them being too embaressed and/or anxious to ask for help. This also means that when you suggest them to seek help, this may not go smoothly. However don't get frustrated or angry, try to understand that seeking help isn't as easy as it may sound. They will have to talk openly about their OCD and will be asked to make makes changes, which probably will scare them, so try to remain supportive to the person with OCD and inform yourself.
Finding a psychologist/psychiatrist that has experiences with OCD is always beneficial. The more they already know, the less there will need to be explained and the more easily they will be able to understand and help the person who has OCD.
Whatever your age, if you feel something is wrong and you seem unable to function properly, ask for professional help as soon as possible.
