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Difference between phobia and OCD?


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I asked my psychologist this as she chides me if I call my obsessions a phobia. The difference is that a phobia does no inhibit your life. You may be scared of mice, if you see a mouse you might scream, that is a phobia. However, if you go through your house blocking holes, checking and being in fear of a mouse getting in, then that is an OCD obsession.

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The common factor is fear. The hallmarks of OCD - along with the anxiety - are also guilt - a component that a phobia alone presumably lacks - in addition to ruminating, repeating rituals, mental or physical to 'undo' the anxiety. Re the suggestion that phobias can't inhibit the life of sufferers is just plain wrong - tell that to someone who can't leave the house, walk near a dog, sit in a cinema, be in darkness, ride in a lift, fly in a plane etc etc. . 

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Re the suggestion that phobias can't inhibit the life of sufferers is just plain wrong - tell that to someone who can't leave the house, walk near a dog, sit in a cinema, be in darkness, ride in a lift, flya plane etc etc in . . 

i agree, phobias can seriously inhibit lives

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1 hour ago, paradoxer said:

The common factor is fear. The hallmarks of OCD - along with the anxiety - are also guilt - a component that a phobia alone presumably lacks - in addition to ruminating, repeating rituals, mental or physical to 'undo' the anxiety. Re the suggestion that phobias can't inhibit the life of sufferers is just plain wrong - tell that to someone who can't leave the house, walk near a dog, sit in a cinema, be in darkness, ride in a lift, fly in a plane etc etc. . 

My psychologist meant that a phobia is defined by it not being intrusive in your life. Those that you mention if they are to that extreme then they would require help, meaning that they are no longer just a simple phobia.

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Well, it may be a question of semantics ... and  I suppose I know what your therapist means, but a ''simple' phobia' may be extremely felt, and in a real-life-affecting sense, debilitating I think an off-the cuff comment can sometimes be seen as dismissive of real psychogical problems. As an OCD sufferer (particularly when the greater public often gets OCD wrong) it's something (I think) to be aware of. 

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This is an interesting question, but it's not always helpful to try to neatly categorize everything. There can be a definite overlap. For me, my obsession is  a phobia. My OCD is mostly based on my extreme phobia of vomiting. Yeah I have to agree that a phobia can be extremely, life-ruiningly debilitating.

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