Facts About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- OCD afflicts approximately one in fifty adults in the United States.
- OCD is the fourth most common psychiatric diagnosis and one of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide.
- Approximately six million Americans are afflicted with this disorder.
- OCD is equally common in males and females.
- Nearly 1/3 to 1/2 of all sufferers will report that their OCD began in childhood. Some will even show signs in their pre-school years. Cases of OCD have been reported in children as young as 1 ½ years old.
- OCD will evolve throughout a person’s life. Symptoms can change, worsen, become milder or even disappear. Regardless, OCD is chronic and often disabling.
- Typically OCD will worsen due to stress, illnesses, and disease.
- OCD is sometimes accompanied by depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders.
- Surveys estimate that most people with OCD hide their symptoms, and less than 10 % of those suffering are currently in treatment.
- Most people see an average of three to four health professionals and spend more than nine years seeking treatment for OCD before they are correctly diagnosed.1
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1Jenike, M.A. Clinical Practice: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 350(3): 259-265
Frank Morelli, M.A.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
1555 KINGSLEY AVENUE, STE 101 • ORANGE PARK, FLORIDA 32073 315 WEST TOWN PLACE, STE 3 • ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 32092 PHONE: 904-410-6324 • FAX: 904-278-8891