Question: Does coffee have any influence on OCD? My brother drinks like 10 cups a day but swears it has no effect on things. I am not so sure…

Katie Brooks Says...:

Hello there-

First of all, everyone is different. Your brother may not
experience negative side effects from caffeine at this moment. It is also
possible that he has been drinking coffee for quite some time and does not know
the difference. That being said, over forty research studies have
shown that excessive caffeine can be harmful to your health.

Here are just a few
of the effects that caffeine can cause in the general population:

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Restlessness
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Flushed face
• Twitching or trembling
• Distracted thoughts and speech
• Physical agitation
• Nausea
• Light-headedness
• Diarrhea
• Mood swings

These symptoms make up the "fight or flight" reactions designed
to protect you from harm. Excessive amounts of caffeine can prompt the body's
fight or flight response even though no real danger exists. This overactive
fight or flight response can contribute to anxiety.

Caffeine
exasperates Anxiety, Insomnia, and Panic Attacks.  Since
OCD is an anxiety disorder, and caffeine causes anxiety, it would be worthwhile
for your brother to quit or decrease his caffeine intake.  My guess is he would see a significant
decrease in symptoms.   

It
sounds as if your brother is very addicted to caffeine.  Although caffeine seems to be one of the
least dangerous substances, a substance it is. 
Addiction is addiction.  Your
brother may report not being agitated by the coffee because he is protecting
his addiction and does not prefer to give it up.

Unfortunately, you cannot force anyone to
give up a bad habit, but you can educate.  It might be a good idea to refer him to a
therapist who can educate him and teach him how to manage/ cope with his
disorder in a healthy way.  Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be the most effective form of therapy for
OCD.  If you have any further questions
or would like to make a phone appointment please visit my website goodtherapysandiego.com.

Question: Is it ocd if I have to repeatedly lock my car over and over again. I will lock it and then wlking in to the shop or whatever and then I will have to turn back and relock it and then because there are two buttons on my car locker I start wondering if I accidentally unlocked it so I will need to lock it again…and on it goes until I eventually start to feel very self conscious for standing like a crazy man in the parking lot locking my car over and over again. Even when my wife tells me I have done it I still need to go back and do it again. I don’t do anything else crazy like this but this is starting to become very weird and beyond my control.

Katie Brooks Says...:

Hello-

It sounds as if you are experiencing some
disturbing repetitive checking, which is a component of OCD.  According to
your description, you do feel like it is excessive, but unless the obsessions
and compulsions are lasting more than an hour per day and/ or are causing a
serious disruption in your daily functioning, I would not diagnose you with Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder.  Oftentimes there
are self-help workbooks that you can buy on Amazon that will educate you
further on OCD and also give you some strategies for coping.  Unfortunately,
mental illness is progressive.   You may want to be proactive and see a
therapist who practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, specifically Exposure and
Response Prevention.  A therapist will
help you manage the compulsion to check your lock and help you discover any obsessive
thoughts that are triggering that compulsion.   If you have any further
questions please contact me for a private phone session or appointment at
GoodTherapySanDiego.Com. 

Warmest Wishes,

Katie Brooks, LCSW

The Criteria for OCD is as follows:

A. Either obsessions or compulsions:

Obsessions as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):

(1) recurrent and persistent thoughts,
impulses, or images that are experienced at some time during the disturbance,
as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress

(2) the thoughts, impulses, or images are not
simply excessive worries about real-life problems

(3) the person attempts to ignore or suppress
such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other
thought or action

(4) the person recognizes that the
obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind
(not imposed from without as in thought insertion)

Compulsions as defined by (1) and (2):

(1) repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing,
ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words
silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession,
or according to rules that must be applied rigidly

(2) the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at
preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation;
however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic
way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly
excessive

B. At some point during the course of the
disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are
excessive or unreasonable. Note: This does not apply to
children.

C. The obsessions or compulsions cause marked
distress, are time consuming (take more than 1 hour a day), or significantly
interfere with the person’s normal routine, occupational (or academic)
functioning, or usual social activities or relationships.

D. I another Axis I disorder is present, the
content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (e.g.,
preoccupation with food in the presence of an Eating Disorder; hair pulling in
the presence of Trichotillomania; concern with appearance in the presence of
Body Dysmorphic Disorder; preoccupation with drugs in the presence of a
Substance Use Disorder; preoccupation with having a serious illness in the
presence of Hypochondriasis; preoccupation with sexual urges or fantasies in
the presence of a Paraphilia; or guilty ruminations in the presence of Major
Depressive Disorder).

E. The disturbance is not due to the direct
physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a
general medical condition.