Observing OCD and mental illness: Which habits do you have?

When working in a place where you are watched or where you watch others, it is noted that each person has their own quirks. You begin to realise there are certain people who perform true rituals. Things have to be done at a certain that time, in that place, in that way, etc …

Of course there are fads that are considerably healthy and therefore acceptable in the eyes of others. But there is a danger it leaves the acceptable and becomes stranger, turning into a disease. This is shown beautifully in the case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, known by the acronym OCD, which starts with a simple repetitive mania.

OCD is an anxiety disorder that causes actions where repetitive and compulsive thoughts become routines, disrupting the lives of people suffering from this disease. Usually it is exaggerated and the sufferer becomes consumed by irrational ideas regarding health, hygiene, organisation, perfection, which become uncontrollable or difficult to control.

Our minds are increasingly creating new psychiatric disorders for us to deal with. It is indeed a surprise box that can either make you or break you. Many people take care of the physical aspects of their existence but forget to take care of their mental health as well. And any healing always comes from the inside out.

Such quirky behaviour can follow a person, night and day, and may even appear in childhood, but nobody is aware or has the ability to diagnose it. When it comes to children, certain strange behaviours can be considered as normalities. It’s up to the parents to observe their children correctly. Sometimes deep psychological trauma can be can be the cause and the symptoms worsen over the years.

I’ve listed below some unusual quirks that seem fun, but they are real and serious. It takes special care and psychiatric treatment. Sometimes the medicine can even explain these changes, but it is difficult to control the power of people’s minds.

Megalomania – Mania for power or superiority. Usually associated with bipolar disorder euphoric phase.

Trichotilomania - Habit of plucking hair or body hair. The urge to pull out hair, noticed when dramatic changes in appearance occurs.

Arithmomania - Counting and verification. Normally connected to people suffering from OCD. Repetition of the same thing. As simple things such as turning on and off the TV, tying and untying shoelaces etc.

Echopraxia – Intense desire to imitate people. It is observed in children too.

Nudomania – Mania for getting naked.

Gamomania – Intense desire to marry. This one I think some women after the 30 has.

Demonomania – Mania to find himself possessed by a demon.

Mananomania – Obsession by the hand of another person. Is to sniff, bite or pinch.

Graphomania – The obsessive compulsion to write.

The last one has much to do with one of my quirks. Just kidding!

I mentioned, they seem funny but are not. Many can live based on medicines that control anxiety because many of these manias are linked with impatience, nervousness, stress, trauma etc. If we want to live a balanced and happy life we need to “control our thoughts” and, above all, we must make sure they we are not our own saboteurs.