OCD and Rage

When my son Dan’s obsessive-compulsive disorder was severe, he was so imprisoned by the disorder he could barely function. Not surprisingly, he was also depressed. Typically a mild-mannered young man, he would occasionally snap at me if I annoyed him or refused to enable him. These episodes were infrequent, and throughout his illness, Dan remained remarkably even-keeled. This is not always the case. A good number of people with OCD experience intense bouts of anger, or rage. While there aren’t a lot of statistics available, this study concludes that fifty percent of patients with OCD experience “anger attacks.” Not only can this be upsetting for the person experiencing rage, it can also be frightening for loved ones witnessing this potentially violent behavior. Rage in those with OCD can occur at any age, from young children to older adults. For those who have even a basic knowledge of OCD, it’s not difficult to understand (at least to some degree) where this rage might come from. For one thing, those with untreated OCD are compelled to perform compulsions to keep their world (and possibly everyone around them) safe, and if these compulsions are interrupted or hampered in any way, it can feel equivalent to letting someone die. These feelings are real, and they can be intense enough to propel the person with OCD into panic mode – and then rage. There are other possible causes of rage in those with OCD, including but not limited to: reactio...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anger Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Personal Stories Anger Management Ocd Rage Violence Violent Behavior Source Type: news