How Trauma and OCD are Related
by Katherine Pica LCSW
A significant link exists between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The two anxiety disorders show a high rate of co-occurrence or comorbidity. Almost 30% of people diagnosed with PTSD will go on to develop OCD within a year of their diagnosis, and between 4% and 22% of people with PTSD also have ODC.
Researchers are not sure why PTSD and OCD co-occur so often. PTSD and OCD have their own specific treatments, so administering proper care for cases of co-occurrence is difficult. More funding and research are necessary to provide patients with better care. Still, several plausible explanations exist for PTSD and OCD’s comorbidity. Some of the causes and symptoms of PTSD and OCD are very similar, let’s first describe them separately.
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs after someone witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. Examples of events that trigger PTSD are:
Sexual, physical, or mental abuse
Natural disasters
Time spent in combat or war zones
Abusive relationships
Car accidents
Major medical illnesses or accidents
People with PTSD experience extreme anxiety and have flashbacks of their traumatic event. They may also have nightmares about the event. These symptoms can occur soon after their traumatic experience or may take years to appear. Someone with PTSD will also go out of their way to avoid anything or anyone that reminds them of their traumatic event. They will often have intrusive thoughts about their experience that impair daily functioning.
Some symptoms of PTSD include:
Startling easily
Feeling irritable and agitated
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping for too long
Diminished interest in previously enjoyable activities
Trouble concentrating
Ruminating on negative thoughts
People with PTSD may also experience major anxiety and symptoms of depression.
What is OCD?
Someone with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder experiences unwanted thoughts that trigger repetitive behaviors. Repetitive behaviors can include (but are not limited to):
Excessive handwashing
Repeatedly checking locks
Regularly counting to a certain number in their head
Constantly organizing or cleaning surroundings
Hair pulling or skin picking
For people with OCD, these compulsions are uncontrollable and can take up many hours of their day. In extreme cases, the obsessive rituals can take up their entire day.
Acting out these rituals brings someone with OCD a great sense of relief. If they do not partake in the rituals they feel overwhelming anxiety and distress. These symptoms usually start during childhood or adolescence and can continue into adulthood.
Symptoms of OCD vary depending on the person’s particular obsession. They may include:
A fear of germs or contamination
Intrusive violent or sexual thoughts
An intense need for things to be neat and orderly
Fear over one’s health or the health of loved ones
Aversion to throwing away items, even items that might be unsafe or unhealthy
OCD can result in symptoms of depression and anxiety as well.
What’s the link with OCD and Trauma ?
The biggest similarity between OCD and PTSD is recurring, intrusive thoughts. People with PTSD think about their traumatic event while people with OCD think about whatever triggers their compulsions. The major difference between the two disorders is how people react to intrusive thoughts. People with OCD will engage in the ritual (compulsion) that eases their anxiety. Someone with PTSD will try to suppress their thoughts through avoidance.
People with PTSD may go on to develop OCD as a way to cope with their traumatic event. Instead of trying to suppress the event, they might start engaging in compulsions that ease their anxiety. Likewise, someone who experienced a traumatic event might never develop PTSD and instead develop OCD as a way to cope.
A definitive explanation for the link between OCD and PTSD has not been discovered yet. The two are very closely related and often co-occur. Treatment is available for those suffering from OCD or PTSD, and further research will uncover more successful treatment methods for cases of co-occurrence.
Therapy for trauma related OCD
Ocd is treatment is best with Exposure and response prevention(ERP). ERP where an individual is gradually exposed to situations, images or thoughts that make them anxious. When in OCD therapy over time the individual learns 2 things: that they are able to handle the situation and even if the thing they feared happened they learn that they were able to tolerate it. If OCD is trauma related then you may need a different type of therapy or we may need to carefully choose which problem to treat first. This is why working with a therapist who has been trained in the treatment of OCD and trained to treat trauma is so important if you are struggling with both of these conditions.
How to get OCD treatment and trauma therapy in San Diego
At Resilience counseling we have been trained to provide treatment for OCD with ERP and trained to provide treatment for trauma with EMDR. Available for treatment in the greater San Diego area and all over California. We can work together to find the best treatment options for you. If you are struggling contact us to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation!
