Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

If you’ve ever watched the cable TV series Monk then you know what a person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) looks like — fixated on repetitive behaviors (compulsions) or recurring, unwanted thoughts (obsessions).

On the TV show, the brilliant and lovably disturbed detective Monk works his quirks into the very fabric of his life — politely washing his hands down after touching any object outside his body, avoiding cracks in the sidewalk like a little boy trying not to break his mother’s back, etc. If only all those who suffer from real-life Obsessive Compulsive Disorder were so happy-go-lucky! In fact, there’s a long list of high-achievers and famous obsessive-compulsive celebrities.

Finger picking can easily rise to the level of an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — especially if picking the fingers is involuntary and used as a stress-coping mechanism to ward off disturbing thoughts. The disorder like Impulse Control Disorder, which refers specifically to the aspect of OCD that drives those suffering from it to impulsively engage in the ritualistic behavior (compulsion) is perhaps the closest fit for compulsive finger pickers.

Powerful drugs such as antidepressants have been shown to help those with acute Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.