Cognitive Theories Of Obsession With OCD

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is the unwanted recurrent thoughts, actions, or impulses and repetitive behaviors and actions that a person feels driven to perform (Obsessive Compulsive Anonymous World Services, 1999). People suffering from OCD perform a variation of strange rituals everyday uncontrollably. There are different types of compulsive behavior people with OCD display. For example, hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away or give anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don not need or use. These victims of OCD can become obsessed with not only performing actions, but with keeping objects and possessions.

As time has progressed, light has been shed on the causes and symptoms of mental disorders. Like many mental disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder was once linked to dissociation with religious beliefs. In the seventeenth century OCD was seen as a symptom of being isolated from religion and religious practices. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that obsessive-compulsive disorder began to be recognized as a mental disorder unrelated to religion. The route to this recognition began as stated by Koran (2007) by distinguishing obsessions from delusions and compulsions from impulsions. The source of the disorder, however, was still a matter to be argued on. The idea that OCD was a result of any level of insanity was disregarded after the mid-eighteen hundreds. For the most part, French psychiatrists believed it was a result of an emotional distress and “volitional” defects but not before placing it in a very broad spectrum of many other phobias we see today. German Psychiatrists, on the other hand, associated OCD with an issue on the intellectual level and as Magnan (1835-1916) put it, OCD was the “psychosis of degeneration.”

The following is an overview about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), one of the most difficult psychiatric illness to be understood. The way of doing certain behaviors, thoughts or routines repeatedly is the essential condition of a person with OCD. In general, it is known and described by someone who is extremely perfectionist and meticulous. Unfortunately, they do realize those habits and be able to stop doing it. Common behaviors are such as checking locks, doors, stove bottoms, and lights, hand washing, counting things, or having recurrent intrusive thoughts of hurting oneself or somebody else.

OCD follows a pretty typical cycle, in which patients have obsessions that can become triggered, and when they become triggered, the patient feels anxiety. In order to combat that anxiety, they will try to relive it by creating behaviors, called compulsions. The compulsions temporarily provide relief until the obsessions are triggered again. There are a few common types of OCD:

This case conceptualization of Francis discusses the principles of the cognitive behavioral theory that are based on the belief that learning, cognitions, and perceptions play a significant role in the development and maintenance of emotional and behavioral problems. Various CBT models are applied to the diagnostic determinants of Francis’ dysfunctional behavior and the empirically supported methods of cognitive behavioral treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are used to build a treatment plan to aid in Francis’ recovery.

According to the DSM-IV-TR, people with OCD suffer from recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions, defined as "persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress" (Criterion A.1), which are difficult to dismiss, despite their disturbing nature. These experiences are more intrusive than excessive worries about real-life problems, and they are unlikely related to these kinds of problems. (Criterion A.2). Persons who suffer from OCD try to ignore, suppress or neutralize their obsessions with some other thought or action (Criterion A.3) and recognize that they are a product of their own mind (Criterion A.4).

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is a medical disorder that causes unwanted thoughts and impulses that are hard to control. A person that has OCD is often aware that the obsession and compulsion that they are experiencing are irrational but they cannot control it. A person’s experiencing OCD has rituals that consume significant amount of time that can interfere with their daily lives and can cause a great deal of distress.

"OCD patients have a pattern of distressing and senseless thoughts or ideas- obsessions- that repeatedly well up in their minds. To quell the distressing thoughts, specific patterns of odd behaviors- compulsions- develop." (Gee & Telew, 1999)

Once considered a rare condition, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ) now affects millions of people globally and it is considered to be the fourth most common mental illness in many western countries that will affect men, women, and children regardless of their race, religion, nationality or socio-economic group ("How Common Is OCD?" 1). Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by persistent and anxiety-provoking thoughts and repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to diminish anxiety and distress brought by obsessions. Despite the development of theories and in depth researches, scientists are still unable to identify the definite cause of OCD. While some scientists believe that it is due to the

OCD is comprised of several different factors including those on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale which are: the amount of time spent on compulsions, inference caused by compulsions to one’s daily activities, the distress caused by compulsions, the ability to resist the compulsion, and the control over the compulsion. By knowing which one of these factors are incorrectly represented by the model, one could work towards augmenting the model in such a way that it better depicts the symptoms and effects of OCD. Theoretically, this augmented model could be used to further research the implications of OCD and possibly develop methods or tools to assist those who suffer from the

A compulsion is brought on by the person obsession. The compulsion is reinforcing to the person with OCD because the compulsion is the behavior or though that the person feel they have to do in order to prevent distress or anxiety or dreaded event. The compulsion doesn’t give the person with OCD pleasure but it a direct response to the obsession. The obsession is considered a intrusive, persistent and uncontrollable thought or urges. “The Obsessions are recurring thoughts, beliefs, or ideas that dominate a person’s mental content. They persist despite the fact that the person may believe they are unrealistic and tries to resist them” (Morrison, 2014). Compulsions are acts (either physical or mental) performed repeatedly in a way that the person

OCD is distinguished by two prominent and pervasive behaviors: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are defined by the presence of recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images, which are unwelcome and invasive (American Psychological Association, 2013). Compulsions are manifested by “repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly” (APA, 2013, p. 235).

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a common psychological disorder that is often associated with misconstrued stereotypes. OCD is considered an anxiety disorder consisting of obsessions that are often combined with compulsions. These obsessions are usually recurrent and persistent specific thoughts and be urges. Compulsions make up the second part of OCD. They are repetitive behaviors performed according to rigid rules that are completed in an attempt to help prevent obsessions from becoming true. The compulsions are maintained by negative reinforcement meaning that the patient continues to perform the compulsions because the obsessions are prevented. This idea forces the patient to continue the vicious cycle of performing compulsions to prevent

To begin with, the causes of OCD are various. Biological factor are closely related with this mental disease. More specifically, there is circuit in the brain which is responsible for some aspects of our behavior like sexuality, aggression etc. When this specific circuit is active these desires ae appeared and pushed the person to act in a specific way, with a particular behavior, according to this desire. For instance, if you go to the bathroom then you ill wash your hands. If you suffer from OCD, the brain will not be able to stop the impulses of the circuit so you will feel unable to stop the specific action (washing the hands).

Obsessions are unwanted ideas or impulses that repeatedly well up in the mind of a person with OCD. These are thoughts and ideas that the sufferer cannot stop thinking about. A sufferer will almost always obsess over something which he or she is most afraid of. Common ideas include persistent fears that harm may come to self or a loved one, an unreasonable concern with becoming contaminated, or an excessive need to do things correctly or perfectly. Again and again, the individual experiences a disturbing thought, such as, "My hands may be contaminated -- I must wash them" or "I may have left the gas on" or "I am going to injure my child." These thoughts tend to be intrusive, unpleasant, and produce a high degree of anxiety. Sometimes the obsessions are of a violent or a sexual nature, or concern illness. People with OCD who obsess over hurting themselves or others are actually less likely to do so than the average person. Obsessions are typically automatic, frequent, distressing, and difficult to control or put an end to by themselves. With these reoccurring obsessions continuously being played in the sufferers mind, they start performing repetitive acts that reassure them that their hands aren’t dirty, or the gas for the stove is turned of. This response to their obsession is called a compulsion.