Does Trauma Cause OCD? Can OCD Be Caused By A Traumatic Event? If you ask yourself questions like these then you have come to the right place. As for what we are about, discuss if OCD is linked with traumatic events. We’ll discuss that and will also talk about the main ailment itself, dwelling on the symptoms and treatment that is done for it. Let’s find out once and for all.
Understanding OCD
OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a mental condition that is characterized by symptoms such as obsessions that are unwanted and intrusive in nature and ritual-like compulsions that affected individuals participate to get rid of the said obsessions. These obsessions coupled with compulsions can hinder someone who is affected by OCD, from living a normal life, significantly. We are listing some of these below so you can properly gauge the answer to the question, is ocd a trauma response?
Obsessions are usually along these lines:
- The thought of hurting yourself or your loved one deliberately
- The thought of hurting yourself or your loved one accidentally
- Fear of contamination and contagious viruses
- Obsession with symmetry and organization
- Unwanted and intrusive thoughts that relate to sex, religion, or gender
Compulsion may appear similar to these:
- Avoiding social gatherings
- Excessive checking
- Excessive washing and cleaning
- The compulsion to organize and put things in a symmetrical order
- Hoarding and accumulation of different types of objects
- Asking for reassurances from friends and family members
Read More: What are some of the common symptoms of OCD in kids?
The Link Between OCD and Trauma Can Be Traced Back To Disorders Family.
The link between OCD and trauma can be traced back to a time when both trauma and stressor-related disorders, and OCD-related disorders were classified under the larger, anxiety disorders family. This answers a lot of questions already such as these: “Can trauma trigger OCD?”, and “Can you develop OCD from trauma? Or something like, “Can OCD be caused by a traumatic event?”. The subgroups within the anxiety disorders family were found to hold their own, unique sets of characteristics and therefore needed their own classification and one of these classifications was trauma. All this came true with the update of the American Psychiatric Association’s fifth edition of its diagnostics manual (DSM-V), which introduced two new distinct categories: the trauma and stressor-related disorders family, and the OCD-related disorders family.
But How Does Trauma Actually Warrant Into All This?
The direct reference to the link between OCD and trauma is something called Trauma OCD, which is a subform of OCD that is based on traumatic events, essentially answering another question like “Can OCD be caused by a traumatic event?” Well, the actual answer happens to be a type of OCD that is more defined by an OCD traumatic event rather than both of them influencing the affliction separately. You will have a better idea once we spread out the OCD trauma symptoms which include both obsessions and compulsions:
- Unwanted and intrusive thoughts
- Flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Avoidance behaviors
- Ritualistic behaviors that provide relief from distressing thoughts
- Feelings of guilt or shame related to the traumatic event
- Physical symptoms, such as headaches, and difficulty sleeping
What Does Research Say About OCD and Trauma
Research says that OCD and trauma can stem from traumatic events that are not just considered traumatic but also the ones that are experienced as traumatic. These can be classified according to these categories:
- Near Death Or Someone Else’s Death
- Severe injury
- Sexual violence
Different variables, together with traumatic events that belong to the types mentioned above, can cause OCD and Trauma, and therefore Trauma OCD to exist. These different variables can be considered something like family history or comorbidity with certain personality disorders or certain physical illnesses that are especially painful, which can contribute to the prevalence of OCD in someone’s body. This somebody, who already had a predilection towards it due to the variables described above is bound to respond to even benign stressors relating to trauma with the trauma OCD if you are wondering, “Can you develop OCD from trauma?”
Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Anxiety Symptoms in Women
The Role of Anxiety in Trauma OCD
The main connector of trauma and trauma-OCD is heightened anxiety. This is what truly connects both of them, specifically answering questions like, “Can OCD be caused by a traumatic event?” The OCD trauma symptoms can create an overall atmosphere of hopelessness and isolation because these symptoms can be hard to manage and difficult to keep in check. Severe stress can also cause significant changes in the brain, which in turn can lead to trauma-related OCD. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event develops OCD. This is because some people are more prone to suffer from OCD and trauma-related disorders due to genetic composition and environmental factors such as the ones described before and stress/anxiety can indeed exacerbate their symptoms.
What’s The Link Between PTSD and OCD?
What about PTSD, also known as post traumatic stress disorder? Can trauma like that trigger OCD? Yes, you can have both OCD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as people who have trauma-related OCD also tend to experience PTSD. The correlation of this type of comorbidity is high according to research and OCD trauma symptoms and PTSD can certainly overlap.
Are OCD and Trauma Treatable?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for OCD treatment symptoms. It is a short goal-based “talk” therapy that is used to replace a patient’s negative thought processes with positive ones. There are a couple of these, but the most suitable for OCD and trauma is the one called exposure response prevention therapy which can be used to remove the power around the triggers of trauma and OCD, which is done by putting the patients into situations that relate to that trauma and OCD. On the other hand, medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are essentially antidepressants that are usually used for treating depression, can be used to manage symptoms of trauma OCD. A combination of both of these treatments would be the best way to go.
Read More: Symptoms and Causes of Depression – How to Treat Them?
Conclusion
If you are asking about answers to questions like “Can OCD be caused by a traumatic event?” Then, we think you have received a comprehensive outlook on how the question is best answered by looking at the information above. If it’s the treatment for conditions like OCD or ADHD that you are looking for, then we at Inland Empire Behavioral Group can ensure that you receive it. Let’s start by booking an appointment with us.
