Have you seen a person who consumes a considerable amount of time in ensuring that she or he has really turned off the light? Or has spent hours in just securing the door lock before bedtime? Or perhaps, your loved one, who perpetually cooks the pizza in a microwave oven, making sure that it's really well done? These could be signs that a person is suffering from OCD.
Latest advancement in medical research asserts that the problem lies in the sufferer's impaired amygdala, the human brain's center for basic emotions, including fear. Generally, the patient is aware of her or his behavior's irrationality. The sufferer may or may not be aware that something is amiss, or that the irrationality is a disease in itself. The amygdala of the person suffering with OCD is believed to be misbehaving.
The question now is, what if this person is your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend or husband. This somewhat odd behavior surely sets the stage for strains in a relationship. Is it worth it? Does OCD and relationships really work?
Like the amygdala itself, the relationship of non-sufferer with a person suffering from OCD, is always on the verge of misfiring. The non-sufferer feels perpetually uncomfortable or awkward trying to understand a peculiar behavior on display.
The OCD sufferer may feel a great degree of desperation, knowing that their loved ones really have a hard time understanding them.
From this perspective, both the OCD and non-OCD persons suffer. Multiply a singular instance of this friction between those involved. The pressure is immense, with both the parties.
But, taken from a different perspective, living with person suffering from OCD can be blessing. A stable relationship with an OCD may be an opportunity to reflect on the things we consider important, things that we cherish. This relationship, will not only challenge our traditional concept of loving relationship, but will challenge us to understand the meaning of a committed relationship.
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