What is obsessive-compulsive disorder? And is it treatable?
You likely know what OCD stands for, but many people don't know what having obsessive-compulsive disorder actually means.
For therapists like Erin Venker, she often feels like OCD is misunderstood.
"OCD is so debilitating, it's absolute torture, it's psychological hell so I don't think people realize the gravity, how serious it could be and how much people suffer from it," Venker said.
She started the OCD and Anxiety Center of Minnesota for people like Alison Dotson, who described her OCD as "like having thoughts you never wanted to have."
"And the more you try and push them away the stronger they get," she added.
Dotson said it started with being afraid she would burn in a fire, or that she had cancer.
"I thought I had everything you could possibly have," she said.
The OCD diagnosis came as a relief to her.
"I never knew you could have violent, sexual, religious thoughts and that was treatable disorder," Dotson said.
Thoughts about getting hurt or hurting others are central to OCD.
Venker said obsessions and compulsions are different.
"Obsessions are whatever your fears are. The compulsion is like the action you do either to drive away the fear or prevent something bad from happening," she said.
She says the biggest difference between people quirks and OCD is that with OCD, people often repeat tasks.
"Even with the classic handwashing example, you wash your hand once, you're like, 'good, I'm clean, I'm fine.' But with OCD, your brain isn't getting the all-clear signal so you have to do over and over and over again," Venker said.
OCD is often genetic and treatable with medication and exposure therapy.
On Saturday, Venker will host the state's first OCD Conference with doctors and therapists. It's for providers, people with OCD and family members. To find out more, click here.