What's the difference?

[Serenity]

What's the difference between diagnosed OCD and OCD tendancies? I've heard both terms used and I know they're not the same, but I'm having some difficulty figuring out how they're different.

[MoveAlong]

When you have the actual OCD, it's called a disorder because it often interferes with your life (such as you MUST touch all the books in a library, even when the building's on fire) or you're doing it because you feel the need and it taunts you.

OCD tendancies typically mean that you have things that you do that may seem like OCD, although you don't have the disorder. I.e., your only problem is that your pencils NEED to be very sharp or if you twitch one leg 5 times, you feel the need to twitch the other leg 5 times.

OCD tendancies appear in people with OCD, although they may be worse and they usually come with other, more worse habits.

[Serenity]

So in diagnosed OCD you can't function without doing something- like you're obsessed with it? As opposed to OCD tendancies you just really want to?

[MoveAlong]

More over, yes. With OCD tendancies, the urge isn't all that great, and it doesn't interfere with your life. With diagnosed OCD, it interferes with your life (meaning that you do things that are rash) and the urges are usually greater

OCD tendancies are usually either habits or just the way you were brought up and how your personality formed. OCD is a disorder.

[Serenity]

Ok, I think I get it now. Thanks, Zach! :D

[byee]

According to Dad the Shrink, the difference between a 'Disorder' and a 'Tendency' is one of degree. So, if you have the 'Disorder', then you have full blown symptoms which 'significantly' impair normal functioning. If you have 'tendencies', you do NOT have the disorder, but rather certain specific characteristics often associated with the Disorder. Not as serious, not as all encompassing, not as interferring with daily functioning.

Or, as he put it, the difference between a sniffle and TB.