Odd Quirk or a Medical Condition

Every person is different. Or at least this is what the majority of people think. But we are all humans and we have similarities – both physical and psychological. Your probably have an odd quirk of yours and you keep it a secret, thinking that you are the only one or somehow being ashamed of it. But as it turns out each strange habit or small tic is actually a documented medical condition. So here are some examples and why don’t you try to diagnose yourself, that would be fun. I bet you five bucks that you will find some of these symptoms quite familiar.

1. Oppositional defiant disorder
In every group, say, a class of students or a team of office workers there is that one guy who refuses to cooperate no matter what. It is pretty much clear that his goal in life is to reject and undermine authority whenever the chance is given.in the most obnoxious and attention absorbing way. This is the guy who talks backs even to his superiors and questions every single request – this is the guy you don’t even want to greet in the hallway.

Making fun of this guy when he is not around is a lot of fund but in reality it might not be his fault. This angry troll might have a medical condition known as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) a. k. a. “stubborn jerk disorder”. Specialists describe it as an ongoing pattern of hostile, defiant, and disobedient behaviour toward figures of authority which goes beyond the bounds of usual childhood behaviour. Nearly 20% of children are affected by ODD. A kid who is contentiously causing hell for an authority can be diagnosed with ODD. This condition can affect adults as well and it is very hard to be spotted.

2. Misophonia
Sounds can be pretty annoying. You probably can’t go to sleep if the TV is still on and squeaking can probably turn you into the Incredible Hulk. There are just certain noises that can make us see red. But misophonia can make people go one step beyond. and maybe a hundred more.

People who suffer from misophonia are annoyed, nay, they are enraged by sounds that are generally inoffensive. Sounds like other people eating, coughing, breathing or just making any other everyday noise. While most people will get mildly annoyed by some of these sounds, misophoniacs will probably feel the urge to leave the place. Cases have been reported of people who punched walls because of their frustration with sounds. A curious fact is that the hatred towards the sound (therefore the person making it) is severely strengthen if it is coming from a friend or a loved one. This makes family dinners a nightmare for misophoniacs.

3. Alexithymia
How many times have you heard the story of a boyfriend who doesn’t want to “open up” for his girlfriend? A gazillion? Comments like “he is ever so distant”, “he won’t share with me” and so on and so on. Believe it if you want but two out of three of these cases can be explained by the condition known as alexithymia. As it turns out every single person on planet Earth is affected by it but when its levels reach critical level things get bad. as with most things when the word “critical” is mentioned.

People affected by this condition are unable to describe and identify their emotions. These people get somewhat confused by what they feel so they don’t turn much of their attention to their emotions. As you probably guessed, men are affected more often than women.

4. Onychophagia
Simply known as nail-biting but it can lead to many other problems. If it becomes too severe, nail-biting can be quite harmful. It is a good way to damage your teeth and cuticles. It is a nice way to get germs in your mouth as well. But this ugly habit can lead to psychological problems as well. It can lower one’s self-esteem and interact with social life. Long story short – just don’t do it.

5. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Simply abbreviated as OCD, this condition is as common as diabetes and asthma. People affected by it have intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and act out seemingly pointless habits and rituals (compulsions).

The mind is looking for a way to deal with anxiety and accumulated stress so OCD happens. However, the sufferer is fully aware that these thoughts and rituals are absolutely pointless but after time the behaviour takes over. For instance, a person can become obsessive-compulsive towards cleanness and engage into excessive cleaning of his home. Another would spend a lot of money by ordering professional cleaning services for his home from a company such as cleaners in Archway. The compulsions might be anything that you repeat out of anxiety or nervousness: double-checking, hoarding, excessive cleaning, obsession towards theological questions and religious believes. If you you recognize yourself here then you should get some help. Go visit a psychotherapist.