Comparator Dysfunction

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a neurobehavioral disorder which causes distressing repetitive thoughts, impulses, or images which are intense and frightening (Hyman 19). Many people who are affected by OCD always want to be clean, or sometimes even hoard (Watkins 17). There are many signs of which can show OCD. For example, a concern with dirt and germs, frequent handwashing, long bathroom trips, and the avoidance of becoming dirty (Hyman 31). On average, in America, there are about 2.2 million adults with OCD (Watkins 16). In Britain one in sixty people are affected (Frith). Studies have also shown that two-thirds of individuals with this disability also suffer depression (Watkins 41). There are many physical and mental symptoms. They struggle physically with stress (Chamberlain), depression (Watkins 41), and a concern with dirt and germs (Hyman 31). They also mentally struggle with everything having to be perfect (Frith).

This essay will introduce some similarities and differences between both symptoms and experiences of six different authors who have been personally affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Since OCD is not very well understood by many members of the public ("Escape"), I hope that the experiences of the authors that I researched will be able to paint a vivid picture of what life with OCD is like.

A neurobiological theory has been presented that the pituitary is smaller in those who suffer with obsessive-compulsive disorder, contributing to the etiology of OCD (Atmaca, Yildirim, Ozler, Koc, Kara, & Sec, 2009). This correlates with the information that those who suffer from OCD present with abnormalities in the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (Atmaca, et al., 2009). These abnormalities can increase emotional sensitivity, boost chances of substance abuse, and contribute to the lack of social skills (Dziegielewski,

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.

Overall, David Sedaris’ essay exemplifies the harsh reality what a person living with OCD has to deal with. Throughout the “Plague of Tics” I found Sedaris’ actions and emotions mirrored much of my own which evoked much sympathy from me. Some people may not be able to relate or understand and may view the way he

Society deems OCD as a menace and hindrance because of its resulting limitations. However, we start to see it have an effect on success rates within electracy-focused fields. Scientifically, studies suggest that “patients with OCD . . . adapt by accessing explicit networks in order to process material that normal individuals ‘put to rest’ implicitly” (Rauch et al. 572). Which supports the notion that people who suffer from OCD will look at one thing from multiple perspectives, maybe without even realizing it, in order to perfect his or her understanding of it. Although it

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) was once considered a rare disease, but today, it is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders present among society. OCD is described as “intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions), which increase anxiety, and by repetitive or ritualistic actions (compulsions), which decrease anxiety” (Stein, 2002). In the DSM-IV, Obsessive compulsive disorder can be diagnosed through observable behaviours or repetitive mental habits. Symptoms include; the constant washing of hands, and/or fears concerning danger to others or to self – resulting in frequent paranoia. OCD has been linked with lesions in various neurological circuits of the brain due to the consumption of dopamine agonists (for example, cocaine). In order for obsessive compulsive disorder to take clinical significance, dysfunction and distress must follow symptoms. The treatment of OCD was initially developed in the Freudian era, as psychoanalytical treatment was seen as the most effective treatment at the time for mind management. Conversely, recent empirical evidence proved otherwise. Pharmacological therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, also known as systematic desensitization are nowadays the most prominent remedies used in treating obsessive compulsive disorder.

Obsessive compulsive disorder, also know as ODC, is a complex mental illness that involves repeating thoughts know as obsessions and repeating actions know as compulsions (Parks 8). OCD affects males and females of all types (Parks 8). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one-third of OCD cases in adults begin in the childhood stages (Chong and Hovanec 11). Scientists believe that OCD is related to a faulty brain circuitry that could possibly be hereditary (Parks 9). Theories based on more recent studies show that OCD is a biological brain defect (Sebastian 32). It affects the frontal lobes of the brain (Ken and Jacob 1). Many OCD symptoms have been recorded since the 15th century (Sebastian 21). By the 19th century, science had developed more and explained that OCD was a mental and emotional disorder instead of supernatural forces (Sebastian 29). OCD is two times more common of a disease than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Ken and Jacob 1). There are three forms of OCD. The three forms are episodic, continuous, and deteriorative. Episodic OCD has recurring episodes of illness lasting for a limited time.

Imagine feeling like a slave in your own body. Being forced to do ridiculous rituals and having constant compulsions to do things that you know don’t make sense. This is what it is like to live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In the United States alone, over 2 million people suffer from OCD (Parks, 2011) but no one has found the cause of this disorder. It affects people of all races, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds (Parks, 2011). Since it’s discovery and modern conceptualization, there has been an ongoing debate whether OCD is caused by environmental factors or if it is inherited through genetics. However, since both sides of the debate raise a solid argument and there is not enough hard evidence, the source of the disorder

Today, a forum of Cartesian dualism is arising in the mental health fields. With our ever advancing knowledge in neuroscience, a dichotomy has transpired wherein ‘psychologically based disorders’ are treated with psychotherapy whilst ‘biologically based disorders’ are medicated. (Gabbard, 2000) From the dualist stand point this makes sense as mind and brain --being two separate entities-- should be treated separately. However, the dichotomy makes far less sense when applied to abnormal behaviour, where distinctions between psychological and biological mechanisms are seldom so pronounced. In conditions such as OCD, symptoms often manifest in ways indicative of complex interaction between cognition and neural circuitry, calling for a more holistic view integrating cognitive and biologically based theories as opposed to viewing the two as mutually exclusive.

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

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder that causes someone to have unwanted and troubling thoughts and repetitive behaviors (Lack, 2012). People may self-diagnose themselves to be obsessive compulsive. But people with obsessive compulsive disorder need to spend at least 1 hour daily on obsessive thoughts and rituals (Ellyson, 2014). This disorder is broken into two parts. The first part is obsessions, thoughts or images, and the second part is compulsions, the repetitive behaviors caused by the obsessions (Brakoulias, 2015). An example of obsessive compulsive disorder would be someone checking the locked door multiple times to reduce anxiety about forgetting to lock the door. On average 5% of the population has subclinical symptoms which are considered to be symptoms that are not disruptive enough to meet criteria to be diagnosed obsessive compulsive (Lack, 2012). Dropping what you’re doing to go back and check if your curling iron is unplugged is an example of a subclinical symptom. This paper will discuss what obsessive compulsive disorder is and provide a brief history. It will also include current treatments, suggestions on how to treat the disorder, and a summary.

The study objective should be more clearly articulated. For instance, the author should discuss why they examined the relationship between COMT and OCD using specifically real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The significance of this technique needed to be more well-defined.

In a general view, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is associated with obsessions and compulsions. The obsessions are recurrent thoughts, fears, images, ideas, urges, and doubts. Patients suffering from this disorder often go through fluctuating episodes of compulsion which are in response to an obsessive thought, such as arranging, touching, repeatedly checking on something, and recurrent hand-washing. The patient experiences repeated rise in anxiety from the obsessions, that compels them to indulge in their compulsions as a form of relief (Brown University, 2013). Most of the patients suffering

Prazeres, Souza and Fontenelle (2007) have conducted a systematic review of a decade’s worth of controlled trials and meta–analysis involving cognitive or behavioural treatment or cognitive behavioural treatments for OCD. The findings of various studies have established ERP and CT as effective methods for the treatment of OCD in children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, the researchers also found that while for adults, combining Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SRIs) and ERP or CT was not associated with any additional therapeutic effect, for children, the combination of SRIs and ERP were found to be superior to either treatment alone. The authors conclude that ERP and CT together may lead to significant benefits, specially for patients