Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and long-term disorder characterized by uncontrollable, repeated thoughts and behaviors that an individual feels the need to repeat over and over. The case of Robert, a twenty-three-year-old young man, will be discussed further. Robert came to a mental health facility to get treated for anxiety, but it soon turned out that he rather struggled with OCD because he strongly smelled of disinfectant and reported excessive cleaning behaviors. After being in contact with surfaces and people, Robert felt a strong urge to wash his hands with bleach. He could wash his hands up to thirty times a day, which damaged his skin dramatically. However, the fear of germs was much stronger, and he could not stand touching something without washing his hands afterward. The issue of cleanliness took a great toll on his mental health.
During the pandemic, the symptoms of OCD increased significantly. Robert reported wearing a HAZMAT suit outside, afraid of contracting the virus. In his social life, Robert avoids making physical contact with people and prefers keeping his distance from them. He works remotely from home, which quite pleases him because he does not have to go anywhere and spend time with other people in a confined space. Overall, Robert does not have a dependency on other people when it comes to handling his OCD and prefers being on his own the majority of the time. In Robert’s case, the combination of behavior therapy and pharmacological treatment is possible. Cognitive-behavioral treatment can be implemented for treating Robert’s OCD, including exposure and response prevention and cognitive restructuring (Moody, 2017). It is expected that Robert will feel relief from his symptoms within several weeks.