"Pure OCD"

[Shell B]

I'm not trying to start an argument here, but I'm somewhat confused. From this, it would appear that OCD without compulsions is already recognized as a form of OCD.

Yes, it is. I don't know what in your statement contradicts anything I have said. Pure OCD or OCD without compulsions are the same thing with a different name. Now I'm confused. Did anyone here say it was not a recognized form of OCD?

I guess my questions would be, a) is Pure OCD recognized as an independent diagnosis in either the DSM or ICD, and b) why it is being separated out.

OCD is its own diagnosis. Pure OCD is separated out because the treatment is quite different, though along the same lines. Distinguishing between them is very important so that people like me get diagnosed. If you're looking for compulsions, you miss us.

I can understand wanting to highlight it as a form of compulsive disorder which lives in the shadow of OCD with compulsions, and I don't mean to slight that, or doing so. Nor to try to sweep it back under the rug with general OCD.

Hmm. I'm not quite sure what you are arguing here. This thread is not about gaining exposure for a condition. It is about people who have it being able to talk about it.

But two thoughts concern me. First, diagnoses are, imo, geared towards guiding treatment, because similar presentations or syndromes tend to respond similarly to similar treatment interventions; does pure OCD differ from OCD with compulsions in terms of treatment and prognosis?

No. It differs in diagnostic criteria. Diagnoses are meant to A. Determine what is happening to a person and B. Deliver treatment. If you were to try to diagnose me using the criteria for OCD, I wouldn't have a diagnosis.

Second, as a person with schizo-affective disorder, I see the concept of schizotypy and schizotypal personality traits being tossed around in relation to both schizophrenia and schizo-affective disorder, including using tests for schizotypy to diagnose children who show signs typical of pre-onset schizophrenia, and then being prescribed anti-psychotics and being separated out from their peers for special treatment. Unfortunately, the concept of schizotypy is still ill-defined and conjectural, and I would hesitate to use a scientific concept which isn't clearly defined or well proven (not saying Pure OCD is like this, but treating it separately might be).

What would the problem be with treating Pure OCD differently? It's different. It is very different. I don't count. I don't check. I don't flip switches. I think and I hide. The two are very, very different.

I also know that persons with borderline personality disorder are prone to thoughts about hurting others that are similarly distressing. Again, not trying to argue against Pure OCD itself, other than to note that diagnosis can be somewhat tricky, and such. In my brief googling, someone refers to themselves as being diagnosed as Pure-OCD, so some people are making the diagnosis. But is it similar to the off-label prescription of drugs?

Now I don't know what you are saying? Sure, some people have negative thoughts that are distressing. Pure OCD are repetitive, intrusive, distressing thoughts. Now, in your brief googling, you determined that people with Pure-O were diagnosing themselves how? And what does that have to do with drugs?

I apologize in advance if I offend or misstate or make ignorant assumptions as a consequence of not doing more research on the matter. None is intended. I'm just trying to learn, and unfortunately I don't have the time or inclination to research it myself at present. Mea culpa.

I'm just confused as to what your confusion is and why we are having this conversation. You stated in the very beginning of your post that it is a recognized form of OCD and then went on to say it could be mistaken diagnoses. If you don't have the symptoms of borderline personality disorder and do have symptoms of OCD, should you have to go undiagnosed and not have a chance at reaching out to others like you for fear that someone will not think it is a valid diagnosis?