Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD)

OCD?is a mental?disorder?characterized?by?repetitive?thoughts?and compulsions that?affect?a person's daily life and?activities.?OCD is when people have?repetitive?thoughts,?feelings,?or?thoughts?(obsessions). They?repeatedly?feel?compelled?to do something to get rid of?these?feelings?(compulsive?behaviour).?Mental?activities?such as washing/cleaning, checking and (counting) or?repetitive?behaviours?such?as?other?tasks?can?affect?a?person's?daily?routine?and social?interaction.?There?is?no?standard?definition?of

OCD, but research?shows?that most?OCD?and compulsions?focus?on specific?themes,?such?as?fear of?cleaning?or?contamination and the need for order,?balance,?or?optimization.

Relationship OCD is a lesser-known?form?of?obsessive-compulsive?disorder?(OCD) that?involves?obsessive thoughts and doubts about romantic relationships.?People?with ROCD?are?uncomfortable?and?anxious?about?their?feelings?and fears?about?their romantic?partner?or the?possibility?of their?relationship.?Over?the?years,?ROCD has been frequently mentioned and discussed in OCD?forums,?self-help?groups,?and the media.?However,?it?was?only?recently?that ROCD?began?to?receive?more?research.

Sometimes?in?a?relationship,?there?are?many?doubts?about?the suitability?(qualities?or?characters)?of?the?partner or the relationship?itself.

Emotional?awareness?and?emotional?change?(effort?or?compromise)?towards a romantic partner is considered part of?building?a relationship.?Likewise,?as?a?relationship?develops,?we become?more?aware?of?our?partner's?right or wrong feelings.?However,?for some, these?relationships?are?more?dangerous,?long-term,?and?anxious?to?not?trust?or?worry?about the?partner's?flaws or?flaws.

People with ROCD often describe?seeing?their symptoms?early.?In?this?case,?ROCD symptoms seem to affect?many?of their later relationships.

Others?can?trace?the?symptoms?of?ROCD?back?to?when?they?first faced?an?important?decision?(like?getting married or having?a?child).

ROCD symptoms can occur outside of?everyday?relationships.?In?this?case,?they?will?experience?a?conflict?between?one or more?former?partners.

ROCD symptoms?can?also focus on?a?partner's?past?relationships. For some, the?stress?from?ROCD is so severe that they avoid relationships altogether. In?turn,?others?will?try?to?break?out?of?many?relationships?but?will?not?be?able?to?sustain?the?"block"?of?the?past?few?days.?Interestingly,?the?study?found that ROCD symptoms?were?unrelated?to relationship length or?gender.?Both men and women?have?ROCD.

ROCD symptoms are not limited to romantic?relationships,?either.?They can?take?many?forms,?including the?relationship?between?the?parent?and?the?child?(for?example,?concern?about?the?child's?shortcomings)?or?the?relationship with God?(for?example,?the?relationship?with?God,?including?the?love?of?God).?In?all?these?associations,?ROCD symptoms?were?associated?with?subjective?distress?(e.g.,?mood, anxiety, other OCD?symptoms).

Symptoms and Treatment

People with ROCD?are?often?sensitive?to uncertainty and doubt,?causing?them to constantly question the authenticity of their?feelings,?relationships?or?love.

They may?analyze?their partner's?behaviour,?seek?comfort,?or?perform?spiritual?rituals to?relieve?stress.?Concerns?common?with ROCD may include doubts about?a?partner's?interests,?relationships,?or?integrity.?They may obsessively compare their?relationships?with?others or?ideal?models?for?consistency?and?acceptance.?Negative?behaviour?may?appear?as?a?constant?search?for?comfort?from?a?partner or?friend,?a?constant?mind?examination,?or?a?religious?ritual?on?the?side?of?the?soul?to?overcome?anxiety.

ROCD can?affect?a?person's?emotional?state?and the quality of their relationships.

It?can?lead to a cycle of?distrust,?anxiety, and?behaviour?that can?destroy?relationships?and cause?pain?for both partners.

Treatment for ROCD?usually?includes?a combination of medication and psychotherapy.?Cognitive?behavioural?therapy (CBT),?specifically?cognitive?behavioural?therapy?(ERP),?is?often?used to help?people?combat?obsessive thoughts, reduce?stress,?and?promote?healthy?thoughts?and?behaviours.?It?is?designed?to help?people?distinguish between?the?uncertainty?of?every day?relationships?and the?fear?and?doubt?associated with ROCD.