Like many other forms of OCD, symmetry OCD is characterized by intrusive and disturbing thoughts, as well as compulsions that are meant to alleviate the distress caused by those thoughts. However, while the most common type of OCD involves obsessions about cleanliness or harm, symmetry OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts about balance and order.
For people with this type of OCD, even minor deviations from perfect balance can cause significant anxiety and distress. If you think you may have symmetry OCD, it’s important to get help from a therapist who specializes in OCD treatment. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating this condition, but there are a number of effective treatments that can help you manage your symptoms.
Is symmetry OCD a life-threatening condition?
Symptoms of symmetry OCD may be distressing, but they are not life-threatening. However, if left untreated, OCD can lead to significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.
What Is Symmetry OCD?
OCD is an acronym for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It refers to a mental disorder that is characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or rituals (compulsions).
OCD can be extremely debilitating, as the obsessions and compulsions typically interfere with daily functioning and can cause a great deal of emotional distress. Treatment options include both medication and therapy.
OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and anxiety. Intrusive thoughts are thoughts or images that pop into someone’s head without warning and that are usually upsetting or disturbing. Compulsions are behaviors that a person feels compelled to do in order to relieve the anxiety caused by intrusive thoughts. Common compulsions include washing hands, checking locks, and counting things. Anxiety is what drives people with OCD to engage in their compulsions because it’s relief from the anxiety that they’re seeking.
Symmetry OCD is a type of OCD where a person becomes obsessed with symmetrical objects or patterns. They may become extremely distressed if something is not perfectly symmetrical, and may spend hours arranging objects in a perfectly symmetrical pattern. Symmetry OCD can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life and can cause them to miss work or school, avoid social situations, and isolate themselves from others. If you think you may have Symmetry OCD, please seek professional help.
Characteristics:
Symmetry OCD is a type of OCD where a person feels the need to have everything in their environment be symmetrical. This can manifest itself in a need to have all of their belongings perfectly organized, or in a compulsion to make sure that both sides of the body are exactly equal.
People with symmetry OCD often feel immense anxiety and guilt if something in their environment is not symmetrical. They may spend hours rearranging objects until they feel like things are “just right”. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they try, these people will never be able to completely satisfy their need for symmetry.
People with symmetry OCD often feel the need to arrange objects in symmetrical patterns, or they may feel the need to symmetry-check objects and spaces. They may also have an excessive fear of asymmetry and disorder. Other compulsions can include repeating rituals or tasks a certain number of times, counting, and arranging items in a specific order.
Treatment:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular and well-studied treatments for OCD. It involves a combination of therapy techniques that help you to understand and change your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for many different types of OCD, including symmetry OCD.
One of the key components of CBT is exposure and response prevention (ERP). This involves gradually exposing yourself to the things that you fear or dread and then preventing yourself from engaging in your usual compulsive rituals or behaviors. This helps you to learn that you can tolerate the anxiety or discomfort associated with your feared objects or situations without needing to perform your compulsive rituals.
The most common treatment for symmetry OCD is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy called exposure and response prevention (ERP).
In ERP, the therapist will help you gradually and systematically expose yourself to situations that make you feel anxious or uncomfortable. The idea is to face your fears head-on, without performing any compulsive behaviors. This may be scary at first, but it’s the only way to overcome your OCD.
Along with ERP, some people may also need medication to help control their OCD symptoms. Antidepressants such as SSRIs are often prescribed for OCD because they can help reduce the anxiety and depression that often accompanies this disorder.
Last Updated on December 9, 2022 by Lucas Berg
