WEBVTT - How OCD Works

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<v Speaker 1>Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera.

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<v Speaker 1>It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff you should know

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<v Speaker 1>from House Stuff Works dot Com? Hey, and welcome to

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast. I'm Josh. That's Chuck coming to you from

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<v Speaker 1>Studio one A. Yes, deep within the bowels of How

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Works corporate headquarters, my spokesman. Boys. Yeah, that's a

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<v Speaker 1>pretty good Chuck, Chuck, do your best. Monk like a

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<v Speaker 1>Franciscan monk. Chant. I don't care now, I know what

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<v Speaker 1>you're talking about. You're talking about Monk the TV show. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>one of my favorites, is it? Yeah? I love it?

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<v Speaker 1>You watch it? You don't? Yes, I do know it's good.

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<v Speaker 1>I watched Monk. Because let me go ahead and set

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<v Speaker 1>this up. I have in a very very off hand way,

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<v Speaker 1>no Monk, let's hear it, Chuck, I don't. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know him. No, h'm I've met him a few times.

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<v Speaker 1>Tony shalub the actor, the great, great actor, Tony shalub Um.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm not just saying that because i've met him.

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<v Speaker 1>I really a big fan of his work with the

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<v Speaker 1>Coen Brothers especially. Yeah, he's pretty good in their films.

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<v Speaker 1>They know how to direct that guy. Yeah. I met

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<v Speaker 1>Tony through a friend of mine who was a director

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, who had worked with Tony, and Tony's a

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<v Speaker 1>really good guy. Took a shine at my friend Jim

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<v Speaker 1>and went to his wedding, even which I went to.

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<v Speaker 1>And uh, Tony has read one of my screenplays, was

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<v Speaker 1>kind enough to do that. And you went to Monk's wedding, No,

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<v Speaker 1>I went to. My Frink was there. But when I

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<v Speaker 1>was there, I thought it was kind of funny that,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I knew he was going to be there,

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<v Speaker 1>but there was a lot of you know, periphery family there,

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<v Speaker 1>and I just wondered if people just kind of flew

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<v Speaker 1>in from out of town and sat down there, like, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, what's Monk doing here? But he's over there,

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<v Speaker 1>let's just see him. He's right there. Yeah, he's an

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<v Speaker 1>online registered minister. So I sort of have met Tony

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<v Speaker 1>a few times. He's a very nice guy. We were

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<v Speaker 1>we got way sidetracked here, Oh we did. We did

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<v Speaker 1>um And actually if we had O c D that

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<v Speaker 1>would not stand right man. That was good. Thanks, like

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<v Speaker 1>Monk O c D. That's what we're talking about. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>that's where Monk came from. So basically, um, let's let's

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<v Speaker 1>discuss o c D today, which stands for obsessive compulsive disorder.

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<v Speaker 1>I think most people probably realize that, yeah, which seems

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<v Speaker 1>kind of foreign to me. I've not me. I I

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<v Speaker 1>can I can kind of identify with it, But I

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<v Speaker 1>mean the thought of actually being clinically diagnosed with o

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<v Speaker 1>c D and living the way that that people who

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<v Speaker 1>have O c D live, I just I can't imagine

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<v Speaker 1>it being bearable. I guess that's probably what I should

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<v Speaker 1>have said, you can identify. Well. I've often say I

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<v Speaker 1>have o c D just to my wife as a joke.

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<v Speaker 1>But I do have a lot of really weird, quirky

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<v Speaker 1>compulsive habits. But after reading the article and doing a

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<v Speaker 1>little more research, I realize, unless it's an actual compulsion

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<v Speaker 1>that you have to do it over and over and over,

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<v Speaker 1>then it's not actually o c D. It's just weird

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<v Speaker 1>quirky habits. Boy. Really yeah, wow, I never really told

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<v Speaker 1>people a lot of these. Um, I don't step on

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<v Speaker 1>stairs to have something on them. I uh, I will

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<v Speaker 1>try to avoid cracks on the sidewalk. But not only that,

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<v Speaker 1>but if I step on a crack with my left foot,

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<v Speaker 1>then I have to step on the next one with

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<v Speaker 1>my right foot. Wow, I know I might have a

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<v Speaker 1>c D. Actually, that's entirely possible. It sounds like though

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's not. Um, it hasn't taken It doesn't run

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<v Speaker 1>your life. Well, that's the difference I think O c

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<v Speaker 1>D would be if I stepped on the crack with

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<v Speaker 1>my left foot and then miss the next one. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>but I have to go back and then do it

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<v Speaker 1>all over again and it it doesn't come down or

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<v Speaker 1>just chop both feet off and get it over. And

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<v Speaker 1>I don't always notice it either. It doesn't you know,

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes I'll do it, sometimes I'll notice it, and sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>you don't. I got it makes me wonder, Um, you

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<v Speaker 1>know what the conditions are when you notice it? Like

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<v Speaker 1>what is going on in your life? But your what's

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<v Speaker 1>your brain going through? That? Interesting? Um? So let's give

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<v Speaker 1>a little background on O c D. Like Chuck said,

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<v Speaker 1>it stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. Um. And uh, well,

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<v Speaker 1>the obsessive part is um. It's it's talking about the

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<v Speaker 1>the mental state. People with O c D obsess over

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<v Speaker 1>very slight things that seemed gigantic to them, right For example,

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<v Speaker 1>you think that your hands are dirty. That's a big one.

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<v Speaker 1>That's an obsessive thought. Uh, and you can't get it

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<v Speaker 1>out of your head. The only way to UM to

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<v Speaker 1>get rid of it is through compulsive behaviors, say hand washing. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>here's the problem for most of us. If we look

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<v Speaker 1>at our hands and go, oh, my hands dirty, I

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<v Speaker 1>need to wash it. You wash your hand and that's that.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, you may not wash your hand again for

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<v Speaker 1>several days. Um with if you have O c D, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you wash your hand over and over, and that that

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<v Speaker 1>obsessive thought that your hands still dirty, uh is still there. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>And from what I understand it may vary with some

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<v Speaker 1>some people with O c D, but it's not necessarily

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<v Speaker 1>that you get to the point where you actually think

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<v Speaker 1>your hands are clean. A lot of times will be

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<v Speaker 1>a specific number in your head, like I have to

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<v Speaker 1>wash my hands ten times, the magical number, right, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>the magic number, and then I can move on with

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<v Speaker 1>my life. And you'll see that more often with UM

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<v Speaker 1>P poole. Maybe locking and unlocking doors three times or

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<v Speaker 1>ten times every time, or opening and shutting or touching

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<v Speaker 1>a door knob or something like that, Right, David saderis

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<v Speaker 1>the comedian and author David SADERA and not comedian but

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<v Speaker 1>funny man David us he uh some of his books.

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<v Speaker 1>He touches on some of his O C D. When

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<v Speaker 1>he was a kid, was really funny, licking light switches

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<v Speaker 1>and licking mailboxes and things like that. It's really good.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't I didn't know that licking. There's a licking compulsion,

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<v Speaker 1>well touching, and I guess he's just licking. Is just

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<v Speaker 1>touching with your tongue and get down to it. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>gonna have to try that line sometimes. So um okay,

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<v Speaker 1>So that's the background on O c D. Um that

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<v Speaker 1>this the the obsession though they can generally be categorized

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<v Speaker 1>into four categories appropriately enough. Um, you've got germs which

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<v Speaker 1>would account for the hand washing, right, their symmetry, which

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<v Speaker 1>is keeping things in place, right, that's where mine figures

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<v Speaker 1>in a little bit order. Yeah, when I'm when I'm

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<v Speaker 1>cleaning the house and things, I can't just put the

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<v Speaker 1>remote control on the TV. I have to put it

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<v Speaker 1>at a certain in a certain spot. Yeah. Okay, Now

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<v Speaker 1>there's um doubt. This doubt is the one I think

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<v Speaker 1>I can most identify with. Apparently, if you have O

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<v Speaker 1>c D. This doubt is overwhelming, and you will keep

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<v Speaker 1>going back home, back home, back home, to check on

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<v Speaker 1>the espresso maker or whatever. I wrote an article in

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<v Speaker 1>the New York Times about UM O c D in restaurants.

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<v Speaker 1>Apparently it doesn't matter how your O c D manifest.

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<v Speaker 1>A restaurant is a nightmarish, hellish place. Uh, there's just

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<v Speaker 1>so many problems if you if you're paying attention, you're

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<v Speaker 1>going to really flip out. Well, you got someone handling

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<v Speaker 1>your food first of all that, and you're eating with

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<v Speaker 1>utensils that are shared. I mean they're washed in theory,

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<v Speaker 1>but shared utensils. Uh. You know the Jack Nicholson movie,

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<v Speaker 1>as good as it gets, the restaurants seen in there,

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's pretty indicative of what the hell you

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<v Speaker 1>could suffer through. Yeah. Well, the the author of the

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<v Speaker 1>New York Times article that read, he um he was

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<v Speaker 1>never certain that he had actually signed the check when

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<v Speaker 1>he's a credit card so he'd look again, see that

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<v Speaker 1>he'd signed it, and within seconds opened again and saw

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<v Speaker 1>that he signed it and opened it again. He would

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<v Speaker 1>drive himself crazy like and also he had what I

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<v Speaker 1>think is one of the more interesting um UM I guess.

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<v Speaker 1>Manifestations of O c D is reporting compulsion. I love

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<v Speaker 1>this thing. This is pretty cool. Basically, Um, if if

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<v Speaker 1>let's say you're seated at a table at a restaurant.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the example of the New York Times guy uses,

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<v Speaker 1>if you're seated at a table in a restaurant and

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<v Speaker 1>it's maybe a little loose, you're suddenly overcome by thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>of you know, either yourself or somebody else down the

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<v Speaker 1>line who will be seated at that table being crushed

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<v Speaker 1>by the weight of it when it falls over, and

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<v Speaker 1>you are overcome with the compulsion to tell somebody, um,

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<v Speaker 1>the restaurant manager, a waiter or something. And the problem

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<v Speaker 1>is is they never really appropre appropriately react. So I

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<v Speaker 1>think if you feel that something's enough of a danger

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<v Speaker 1>that it must be reported, actions should be taken immediately.

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<v Speaker 1>So the fact that the waiter doesn't immediately take that

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<v Speaker 1>chair and like from the rest yeah, or evacuate you

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<v Speaker 1>from the table or something like that, Yeah, it's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of gotta be a downer. And the other problem with

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<v Speaker 1>restaurants is that it's it's a very public forum. And

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<v Speaker 1>so if you have to like touch something several times

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<v Speaker 1>before you sit down, or you change tables several times

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<v Speaker 1>because they're not entirely stable. Um. People notice that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of thing, and all of a sudden, you're fairly embarrassing

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<v Speaker 1>disorders put on on display. Right. So I think for

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<v Speaker 1>that reason, a lot of times people find themselves trapped

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<v Speaker 1>in their homes and give a little bit of agoraphobia

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<v Speaker 1>going out. Apparently oh c D can very easily lead

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<v Speaker 1>to a gooraphobia and baldness. Yeah, this is awful from

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<v Speaker 1>from what chuck from pulling your hair? I mean, come on, like,

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<v Speaker 1>what kind of an affliction is this? Right? This is awful, um,

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<v Speaker 1>And it's all in your head. That's the worst part.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think people with O c D realize even

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<v Speaker 1>before they are ever really treated, that this is all

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<v Speaker 1>in their head, right, Um, And that just has to

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<v Speaker 1>make it all the more all the worst, right. I know.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a basketball player in the I guess it

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<v Speaker 1>was the eighties and nineties. His name was Chris Jackson.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if you remember him. I remember him yet. Well.

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<v Speaker 1>He played for L s U in college and I

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<v Speaker 1>can't remember we played pro. But he had O c

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<v Speaker 1>D and I think would tie his shoes, tie his

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<v Speaker 1>basketball shoes up over and over and over and liked

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<v Speaker 1>be late for practice and uh leaving the house. He

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<v Speaker 1>had problems leaving the house. And I'll have to look

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<v Speaker 1>into this. I just this just hit me actually, but

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<v Speaker 1>I believe it actually had something to do with the

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<v Speaker 1>early end of his basketball career. I may be wrong there,

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<v Speaker 1>so well, well I'll look into that. Yeah, hopefully Jackson

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<v Speaker 1>still playing because that stuck. Well, he definitely not still

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<v Speaker 1>playing now, just because he'd be old, but like Dr

0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:02.520
<v Speaker 1>j Old, uh no, not Dr jail Magic Johnson old

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<v Speaker 1>little younger than maybe he still could be playing. Actually,

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<v Speaker 1>Latrelle's pretty well old. Yeah, okay, I've stumbled upon it.

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<v Speaker 1>See that was the magical number three. There's one more

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<v Speaker 1>category that obsessions can be lumped into, and this is

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<v Speaker 1>kind of the darkest of them all. Um, disturbing thoughts yea.

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<v Speaker 1>And these are thoughts that you can't get out of

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<v Speaker 1>your head, um, and that if they lead to compulsive behavior,

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<v Speaker 1>it's probably going to be violent, like violent sexual thoughts. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, other acts of violence, um, maybe self inflicted

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<v Speaker 1>or on other people. And actually I found a study,

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<v Speaker 1>a case report. Actually, uh, did you know that nymphamania

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<v Speaker 1>is often linked to O c D. Really, yeah, that

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<v Speaker 1>makes sense. Compulsive behavior. Um, there's this woman who's uh,

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<v Speaker 1>whose case was in extremist though it's a two thousand

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<v Speaker 1>two UM case study. Uh. And there was a woman

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<v Speaker 1>who's twenty three and she was a daycare worker, but

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<v Speaker 1>she became unemployed because her sexual activity was she was

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<v Speaker 1>so prolific that, um, she couldn't hold the job down

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<v Speaker 1>she had sex too much. And uh, she's in the

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<v Speaker 1>wrong line of work. Well, yeah, okay, let's just settle down, chuck. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>So this woman, actually, this is a self reported she

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<v Speaker 1>commonly had thirty She had sexual intercourse thirty times in

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<v Speaker 1>a twenty four hour period, several times a week. You

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<v Speaker 1>sent me this in an email. I didn't realize. I

0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:45.920
<v Speaker 1>thought it was just here's an interesting fact. But she

0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:49.080
<v Speaker 1>had O c D. Yeah, all right, I should I

0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:51.800
<v Speaker 1>be amazed at the thirty times. Can you imagine having

0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:54.880
<v Speaker 1>sex thirty times in twenty four hours in doing it

0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:57.200
<v Speaker 1>several times a week? No, I can't. So this woman

0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:59.880
<v Speaker 1>also had other compulsions as well, But um, that was

0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:04.520
<v Speaker 1>a it was a pretty a pretty interesting compulsive behavior.

0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:07.000
<v Speaker 1>She was doing it to her own detriment. She derived

0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.480
<v Speaker 1>no sexual pleasure from having sex um and she reported

0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:12.679
<v Speaker 1>that you know, she was afraid of being abandoned by

0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:16.320
<v Speaker 1>by these people, which that's took over her life, for sure,

0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.120
<v Speaker 1>it did, it did, and uh, happily enough, she went

0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:23.320
<v Speaker 1>under a cognitive behavioral therapy and is working it out,

0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:26.360
<v Speaker 1>which is one of the treatments along with I believe

0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:29.920
<v Speaker 1>antidepressants is one of the things they can prescribe sometimes. Yeah,

0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:32.599
<v Speaker 1>there is treatment. Take hope all ye who have O

0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.560
<v Speaker 1>c D and are just finding this out. Um, there

0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:40.800
<v Speaker 1>there is treatment for this disorder, and cognitive behavioral therapy

0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:45.440
<v Speaker 1>is the UM is the chief method of curing. You

0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:48.920
<v Speaker 1>want to tell them about the CBT, Well, yeah, I know.

0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:50.800
<v Speaker 1>One of the methods they use in the CBT is

0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:56.520
<v Speaker 1>called exposure and response prevention and basically that's, uh, from

0:12:56.520 --> 0:13:01.280
<v Speaker 1>what I can gather, that's showing someone or putting someone

0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:03.360
<v Speaker 1>in front of their fear or in this case, or

0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.360
<v Speaker 1>obsession and just saying you can't do it. Yeah. Imagine

0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:09.440
<v Speaker 1>tying somebody to a chair, right, yeah, and then putting

0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:13.520
<v Speaker 1>like I don't know, a dirty towel on their hand

0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:18.559
<v Speaker 1>and not letting them wash it. Yeah, And basically you reinforce. Look,

0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:21.440
<v Speaker 1>you're not dying, your hands not falling off, you're not

0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:24.040
<v Speaker 1>getting sick. And it doesn't just happen one, you know,

0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:26.680
<v Speaker 1>it takes a series, but it's like breaking a wild horse,

0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:31.079
<v Speaker 1>right and and again through therapy and often in conjunction

0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:35.200
<v Speaker 1>with any depressants. Uh, this, this disorder can be licked,

0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.720
<v Speaker 1>not like David Sedaris like, yeah, not licking being a

0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.959
<v Speaker 1>form of touching the full circle. Yeah, nice one by accident.

0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.040
<v Speaker 1>All right, Well, thanks for joining us. U This this

0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.320
<v Speaker 1>timeline stuff you should know and you can learn a

0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:52.080
<v Speaker 1>lot more about obsessive compulsive disorder by typing in those

0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:54.360
<v Speaker 1>three words or even O c D in our search

0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:59.520
<v Speaker 1>bar on how stuff works dot com. For more on

0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:02.320
<v Speaker 1>this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff works

0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:05.520
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