Obsessional Compulsive Disorder (Waswâs al-Qahri (Overwhelming Whisperings): Case Report and Spiritual Interventions

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition in which a person has uncontrollable obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. OCD is a chronic and long-lasting disorder with a variety of different types of obsessions and compulsions. The obsessions (repeated thoughts, urges or mental images) include the fear of germs or contamination, aggressive thoughts towards self and others, and unwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion and harm. The compulsions (repetitive behaviours) include excessive cleaning and/or handwashing, arranging things in a symmetrical or in a perfect order, repeatedly checking on things and compulsive counting. Both obsessional thoughts and compulsion behaviours make an individual dysfunctional and significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions. The nature of intensity of these obsessions and compulsions may vary among those presenting with OCD and some individual may present with multiple obsessions of aggressive, sexual and religious obsessions.