How Common Actually Is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental illness that affects approximately 1-2% of the general population and up to 40% of individuals with depression.
It is characterized by persistent unwanted thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, and urges that cause anxiety and distress which is reinforced by performing mental or physical rituals known as compulsions.
And for many sufferers, along with anxiety and distress come feelings of guilt and shame.
It is estimated that every 1 in 100 adults in the U.S suffers from OCD. This can be incredibly surprising for someone struggling with this mental health disorder because it often feels so lonely and isolating.
But hopefully, the statistics we are going to share with you today will show that you are not alone in your experience.
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What is OCD? Recap
Let’s touch on the basics, shall we?
OCD is known as the ‘uncertainty’ disorder. It thrives off the individual’s desire to want certainty in their lives. The two main elements of OCD are obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions trigger feelings of anxiety which trigger the urge to do compulsions that offer temporary relief.
Obsessions
The big ‘O’ in OCD stands for obsessions.
Obsessions are what we refer to when we experience intense unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, feelings, sensations or urges that trigger overwhelming feelings of anxiety.
We often fixate on these sticky obsessions either because they are incredibly anxiety-inducing (because they feel real and imminent) or because they irritate us, and we believe that giving them our attention allows us to stay in control of them.
Compulsions
The big ‘C’ in OCD stands for compulsions.
Compulsions are the behaviors we engage in to reduce or remove the anxiety, uncertainty, or discomfort related to those obsessions.
You might experience physical or mental compulsions and both are valid. They take the form of a ritual-like behavior which, in performing said ritual, offers temporary relief from the discomfort and anxiety triggered by the obsession.
How prevalent is OCD? The Stats…
According to a 2018 study by NICE.org.uk, OCD is the fourth most common mental illness after depression, alcohol/substance abuse, and social phobia.
Let’s break this down:
- Between 2 -3 million adults in the U.S.A currently have OCD
- Approximately 1 in 200 children and teenagers have OCD.
- Worldwide, OCD is present in between 1-2% of the population
- 9 out of 10 OCD sufferers also have another related mental health condition
OCD Global Statistics
Whilst these statistics do vary from country to country, on average the global rates for OCD fluctuate between 1 and 2%.
Currently, Australia appears to have the highest cases of OCD with Taiwan having the lowest at just 0.4%.
Can OCD go unnoticed?
Unfortunately, the simple answer to this is, yes.
Just like many other related mental health conditions, there are a variety of reasons why OCD may go undetected.
Shame and stigma stop many people from wanting to reach out for support. Whilst the conversation around mental health is becoming more positive and supportive, there is still a great way to go before we fully break the stigma attached to mental illnesses.
Many who have an awareness of signs and symptoms are reluctant to investigate further, and this is understandable.
A lack of understanding and knowledge can also mean that many sufferers are left undiagnosed for many years.
Who gets OCD?
Anyone can get OCD.
No matter their upbringing, race, age, or gender… OCD does not discriminate and is not limited to a particular type of person or group of people.
Having said that, according to the IOCDF, there are typically two age ranges where OCD first appears: between 8 and 12, and late teens to early adulthood.
There are varying factors involved that could impact the likelihood of experiencing this particular mental health disorder, such as hereditary factors and environmental influences, but for the most part, the causes of OCD are unknown.
Is OCD more common in females or males?
Research has shown that women are likely to have a higher lifetime risk than men. Studies have shown that women are 1.6 times more likely to experience OCD compared to their male counterparts.
Interestingly, original research from Frontiers in Psychology found that “OCD is more common among males in childhood, but among females in adolescence and adulthood. Females with OCD tend to report higher depression and anxiety, to exhibit more contamination/cleaning symptoms, and to have greater comorbidity with eating and impulse control disorders.”
It appears that reports are often quite mixed, but this one thing is true, OCD is common in both men and women.
Often, it is how and when the symptoms present themselves and a difference in subtypes that seem most aligned in these studies.
For example, pubMD issued findings that suggest that often males tend to exhibit symptoms related to unwanted and blasphemous thoughts in a higher percentage compared to women.
When is OCD typically diagnosed?
According to NIMH, OCD is typically diagnosed before the age of 19 years old.
In general, boys exhibit symptoms earlier than girls, with most showing signs of OCD anywhere between the ages of 8 to 25 years old.
It is less common for OCD to develop later in life but it is entirely possible. One study discovered that of 1,000 OCD patients, only 5 in total developed symptoms later in life.
However, what should be mentioned here is that the onset of OCD can be very gradual. And so, not only can it be something that only becomes apparent to you later in life but combine this with a lack of awareness and understanding, and an individual could easily go undiagnosed for a long time.
How common is OCD vs. other mental illnesses
To put it into perspective, 1-2% of the world’s population who suffers from OCD translates to between 78 and 142 million people worldwide.
So let’s look at that compared to the prevalence of other mental illnesses.
- Anxiety: 284 million
- Depression: 264 million
- Panic disorder: up to 2%
- Bipolar: Less than 50 million
- Schizophrenia: Approximately 20 million
- PTSD: 12%
- BPD: 1.6%
OCD symptoms that are more common than others
Over 94% of people worldwide have intrusive thoughts.
Now that may seem surprising because of course, 94% of the population does not have OCD. And this is incredibly important for OCD and non-OCD sufferers alike to understand…
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts that pop up, seemingly out of nowhere, and typically either shock us, surprise us, scare us, disgust us or simply irritate us.
But whether or not this becomes a problem is what differentiates a sufferer from a non-sufferer.
For a non-OCD sufferer, the thought will typically arise and they may feel a slight feeling of, “Hey, what was that all about?! Weird.” Before shrugging it off, carrying on with their day and forgetting all about it.
For an OCD sufferer, the thought becomes sticky.
They may fixate on that thought wondering, “Why would I think such a thing? Does it mean something is wrong with me?! What should I do about it? I never want to think that again!” And it is through giving that intrusive thought this attention that it thrives.
So, intrusive thoughts are not saved solely for OCD sufferers, they are part of the human experience.
It’s important to understand this because you may find yourself wanting to ‘stop intrusive thoughts’.
But this is quite an unattainable goal.
The goal is to change how you respond to them and therefore be able to quieten them and continue on with life regardless of their presence.
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Has OCD become more common over recent years?
The short answer is yes…and no.
Although it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much more common OCD has become, there does appear to be a few reasons why it ‘appears’ more common.
The internet has made it easier for people with OCD to seek information about their disorder and interact with other sufferers, which can alleviate some of their distress as well as encourage them to seek help if they notice signs and symptoms.
Social media platforms such as Your Anxiety Toolkit have also allowed individuals with OCD (and other mental health issues) an opportunity to connect with others who understand what they’re going through and share experiences that might otherwise be impossible or impractical offline.
This has developed some wonderful online communities which certainly add to the notion that OCD has become more common.
The likelihood is that OCD has not necessarily become more common, but there is greater awareness.
How to recover from OCD?
Now that we’ve come to understand that OCD is more prevalent than you may have first expected, hopefully, it offers a degree of comfort and support.
The phrase ‘you are not alone’ can be seen everywhere, but sometimes, without the statistics to back it up, it doesn’t seem to be anchored in context. But you can see after looking at these numbers that there is some serious truth to that popular phrase, you’re not alone in this struggle.
While it may not relieve your symptoms, it may go some way to helping you feel like there are people out there who genuinely understand what you’re going through.
With that said, this is an important time to reiterate the best ways in which you can help yourself right now if you have been given an OCD diagnosis.
CBT
CBT, also known as cognitive behavioral therapy, is a two-pronged approach to navigating OCD.
It addresses both how you think about your obsessions (cognitive therapy) and how you respond to your obsessions (behavioral therapy). CBT tackles these two crucial elements that keep us stuck in the OCD cycle.
ERP
ERP stands for exposure response prevention and is a form of CBT. It is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD and has proven to offer excellent results in OCD recovery.
In ERP, you aim to expose yourself to the discomfort of the obsessions whilst refraining from performing the compulsions that offer temporary relief.
Ultimately, you are proving to yourself that you are capable of navigating the discomfort and can respond to them in a way that is more helpful.
Self-help programs
If private therapy isn’t accessible to you right now, there are many helpful resources online that can offer insight and guidance so you can gain the support you need regardless of your location or position.
Over at The ERP School, we have created an accessible and affordable course to help you overcome your OCD so you can stop letting intrusive thoughts control your life and resist the urge to do compulsions.
Find out more and join The ERP School HERE.
1:1 therapy
Working with a qualified mental health professional would be our best advice if you’re beginning your OCD recovery journey.
While it is entirely possible to recover without the support of a mental health professional, the guidance and professional input certainly makes the process feel easier and more manageable.
There is a wide range of directories you can find online to discover a therapist local to you, please do your due diligence and be sure to work with someone who is qualified in this area.
Our team is here to help anyone in Los Angeles City and California state seeking 1:1 support.
Click here to find out more about what we offer and who we are, or get in touch by clicking the link below and submitting an application to chat with one of our clinicians.
