Have you seen a person who consumes a considerable amount of time in ensuring that she or he has really turned off the light? Or has spent hours in just securing the door lock before bedtime? Or perhaps, your loved one, who perpetually cooks the pizza in a microwave oven, making sure that it's really well done? These could be signs that a person is suffering from OCD.

Latest advancement in medical research asserts that the problem lies in the sufferer's impaired amygdala, the human brain's center for basic emotions, including fear. Generally, the patient is aware of her or his behavior's irrationality. The sufferer may or may not be aware that something is amiss, or that the irrationality is a disease in itself. The amygdala of the person suffering with OCD is believed to be misbehaving.

The question now is, what if this person is your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend or husband. This somewhat odd behavior surely sets the stage for strains in a relationship. Is it worth it? Do OCD and relationships really work?

Like the amygdala itself, the relationship of the non-sufferer with a person suffering from OCD, is always on the verge of misfiring. The non-sufferer feels perpetually uncomfortable or awkward trying to understand the peculiar behavior on display.

The OCD sufferer may feel a great degree of desperation, knowing that their loved ones really have a hard time understanding them.

From this perspective, both the OCD and non-OCD persons suffer. Multiply a single instance of this friction between those involved. The pressure is immense, with both parties.

But, taken from a different perspective, living with someone suffering from OCD can be a blessing. A stable relationship with an OCD may be an opportunity to reflect on the things we consider important, things that we cherish. This relationship, will not only challenge our traditional concept of a loving relationship, but will challenge us to understand the meaning of a committed relationship.

Here's how to keep things from getting too serious, too fast:

- Continue to date her regularly, but date other women too - and assume she's dating other guys.

- Use this time to really get to know her, and to understand your feelings about her. Are you feeling desperate, like you must have her all to yourself right now? If that's the case, you need to figure out what's going on with you. Are you in love or are you desperate to have a girlfriend?

- Keep the early dates fun, light and casual. They're meant for getting to know one another. You have a lifetime to get into deep, meaningful conversations.

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