OCD
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Obsessive-compulsive disorder |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Religion |
OCD has three meanings. The most common are Obsessive-compulsive disorder (mental health & psychiatry) and Osteochondritis dissecans (musculoskeletal & rheumatology); it can also stand for Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Meanings of OCD at a glance
| # | OCD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obsessive-compulsive disorder | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
| 2 | Osteochondritis dissecans | Medical › Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology |
| 3 | Order of Discalced Carmelites | Religion › Religious Title |
1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
Disorder of recurrent, unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce distress (compulsions), typically consuming more than an hour a day or causing significant impairment. Exposure and response prevention and SSRIs are first-line treatments.
Example: OCD with contamination obsessions and 3 hours of washing daily, Y-BOCS 28; start ERP and fluoxetine titration.
Lifetime prevalence is about 2 percent, and symptoms often begin in childhood or early adulthood. Casual phrases such as "I'm so OCD" about tidiness misrepresent a condition that can be severely disabling. SSRIs are often needed at higher doses than for depression, and clomipramine is an alternative. Deep TMS was cleared by the FDA for OCD in 2018. DSM-5 placed OCD in its own chapter with related conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder and trichotillomania. In orthopedics OCD means osteochondritis dissecans.
2. Osteochondritis dissecans
Medical · Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations
Joint condition in which a segment of bone beneath the cartilage loses blood supply and may separate, most often in the knee, elbow or ankle of active children and adolescents. It causes activity-related pain, swelling and sometimes locking.
Example: 12-year-old gymnast with capitellar OCD, stable lesion; rest from weight-bearing on hands for 3 months.
The term was coined by German surgeon Franz König in 1887. Stable lesions in children with open growth plates often heal with activity restriction, while unstable fragments need surgery. Throwing athletes and gymnasts develop elbow lesions. In psychiatry and everyday language OCD means obsessive-compulsive disorder, by far the better-known meaning.
3. Order of Discalced Carmelites
Religion · Religious Title Abbreviations
Discalced Carmelites form the branch of the Carmelite order reformed in 16th-century Spain by St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross. "Discalced" means barefoot, referring to their simple sandals.
Example: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, OCD, became one of the most popular saints of the 20th century.
The order includes friars, cloistered nuns and secular members (OCDS). It became a separate order in 1593. Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross are both doctors of the church.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- NCD – Neurocognitive disorder
- NMS – Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- NPD – Narcissistic personality disorder
- NSSI – Nonsuicidal self-injury
- OCPD – Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
- ODD – Oppositional defiant disorder
- OSFED – Other specified feeding or eating disorder
- OTP – Opioid treatment program
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
More musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations
- MTSS – Medial tibial stress syndrome
- MUA – Manipulation under anesthesia
- NOF – Neck of femur (fracture)
- OA – Osteoarthritis
- OI – Osteogenesis imperfecta
- ORIF – Open reduction and internal fixation
- PFPS – Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- PJI – Periprosthetic joint infection
See all 71 musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.