OCD runs rampant in my family. We even participated in a research study because of this. My dad, sister, aunts, and uncles all have it. So I strongly believe in a genetic connection.

hi yes in my familly too differents sorts,me and my sisters have had harm thoughts towards love ones which is soul destroying!!
my uncle as it the way he as to put things all in a certain way or it drives him mad.

I fully believe it is a genetic and biological disease. I have it, and my dad and one of his brothers were very rigid, compulsive-type people--not full-blown-OCD like me but it's like they had it in an attenuated form. I think it definitely comes from my dad's side of the family--and their mom (my paternal grandmother) suffered life-long depression and was very obsessive about her health and some other things. So yes, I think it runs in families. Oddly, my dad's other brother and his sister don't seem to have it. I guess they got lucky!!! :)

My dad also seems to have a mild form of Tourette's--clearing his throat, making involuntary gestures, twitching, grimacing, mild things like that. So I think that's a part of it too.

Very interesting info, thanks for posting it--it only reinforces my own family observations!!

Hi guys my name is kieran and this is my first post on this forum. The article posted is very intirguing indeed. I was diagnosed with a mild form of ocd about 5 years ago. My ocd mainfests itself all in my mind and is so frustrating. I often have obsessive thoughts that I'm not good enough and that I may harm myself or others. I had another episode in the summer as i was working as an accounting intern and got so obsessed that I was always making mistakes and was not good enough - this then took me into a depression which i am still in just now.I am now in my 4th year of university and find it so hard to concentrate and am thinking about dropping out because my confidence is so low. My father and grandfather had clinical depression and i think the gene has been passed onto me. I have been clinically depressed 3 times in my life( this being my third) and am trying to desperately get a system for dealing with it. I have been on and off 40mg of citalopram since i was first diagnosed with ocd and from speaking to my father i now realise that i need to stay on this drug otherwise i will get obsessive about things again which will lead to depression. I am also seeing a therapist although recently have been so desperate to get a 'cure' that i have been going to phychics/ hypnotherapists etc - none have worked. Can i ask how you guys deal with you ocd? My father has not actually been disgnosed with ocd but has had depression - he tells me to excercise etc and just now i am doing all these things but find it difficult to get a grip and get on with things.

p.s. apologies for the long post and for me gushing my heart. Myt intention in the next couple of posts is to reply to others suffering not just bleat on about mine but i thought this would be a good starting point.

cheers