Fun, Electrate, Autistic, Obsessive Home Essay

Everything that I had felt in the past year summarized by three words, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. The psychiatrist seemed unperturbed as she told me, as though this was common. It felt comforting originally, knowing that I wasn’t the only one who’s felt this way, but that feeling swiftly turned into despondency. Those three letters have become my identity, I am no longer Emma. On many occasions, I have met people who lack understanding when it comes to this disorder. Their faces burned into my memory as they speak, “Oh, Emma, that’s no big deal! I’m a little OCD too,” or “Emma, everyone has a touch of OCD,” or “I totally relate, I’m so OCD about my school supplies, I like it when my folders are in rainbow order.” Each time the word used incorrectly, the more normalized it becomes and the less help I receive. This is because if everyone has a “touch of OCD,” then why is it so crucial for me to be assisted? Why should I have to remain isolated in guidance when it happens to everyone? OCD has been portrayed by the media in a way that is incredibly inaccurate and

Fun Home is set up as a comic book, in white and blue, describing the relationship of the author, Alison Bechdel, with her father. By drawing scenes from her life, Alison tells the story of how her father’s reality of being a father, a husband, and a high school English teacher was deceiving, bringing to light truths that he spent his life trying to hide. Photographs begin every chapter and are scattered around the book, giving context and revealing details that cannot be described otherwise.

Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home uses intellectually developed language against cartoon images that are comparatively minimal to convey what her life was like as a child and young adult as she coped with her father’s suicide. By using both of these narrative forms, Bechdel essentially gives herself two different voices in the novel: her childhood self who is the main character of the book and her current self who is the author. This is meaningful because since the novel is a memoir, the author’s voice is a reflection of what she has become as a result of the events of her childhood. That contrast between young Alison and older, wiser Alison adds a new dimension to the story as the reader begins to notice how

Underestimated, unnoticed, and sometimes ignored, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) lurks in the shadows of other illnesses. OCD is a mental condition that has severe to minor effects, but help is always available through Exposure with Response Prevention Therapy and medication. OCD obliterates the ability to think and live freely, leaving its victim trapped in a world of repetition.

OCD is “characterized” by two symptoms called obsessions and compulsions (Treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, 2009, p.4). Obsessions create anxiety from “intrusive and unwanted thoughts” (Solomon & Grant, 2014, p.646). The most common obsessions include “repeated thoughts about contamination, repeated doubts, a need to have things in a particular order, aggressive or horrific

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.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 2 to 3 percent and is estimated to be the 10th leading cause of disability in the world. Patients with OCD experience recurrent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive, stereotyped behaviors (compulsions) that last for at least one hour per day and significantly interfere with the individual 's normal level of functioning. The intrusive obsessional thoughts

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder that can affect children and adults. In order to fully understand OCD, many different areas of the disorder must be reviewed. First, OCD will be defined and the diagnosis criteria will be discussed. Secondly the prevalence of the disorder will be considered. The different symptoms, behaviors and means of treatment are also important aspects that will be discussed in order to develop a clearer understanding of the implications of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) hits very close to home for me. Considering I have been a child/adult with Autism, I thought the topic of how to handle people with Autism in the health care industry was a good fit. As a child, I personally had difficulties going to the doctor. I have had countless unpleasant encounters with doctors, and I understand what Autistic people go through. If there was more understanding of the condition and more culture competence towards the issues faced with someone having Autism, there would be more autistic people who receive health care.

The definition of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is typically defined by the disorders characteristics. The characteristics of OCD are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions often manifest from unreasonable beliefs, thoughts, and fears. Compulsions often manifest in the form of ritualistic behaviors. Mayoclinic.org explains that individuals with OCD can have one of the other where the issues of compulsions or obsessions are concerned (Diseases and Conditions). “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” written by Gyula Bokor, MD, and Peter D. Anderson further distinguishes OCD by stating that “(OCD) consists of a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control to the degree that flexibility, openness, and efficiency are impaired” (2014, p. 117). There are a number of disorders that are comorbid to OCD, meaning in the presence of one or more disorder. Bokor and Anderson state that often times Tourette’s syndrome and Tic disorders are a frequent comorbidity with OCD (2014, p. 117). Psychotic disorders like schizophrenia has been reported a comorbidity of OCD. Bokor and Anderson state that the mental composition of a patient with OCD can lie in comorbidity with numerous psychiatric disorders as well like panic disorder, social phobia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (2014, p. 118). The National Institute of Mental Health’s website explains that there are a number of treatments for OCD. The two most predominant forms of

You may have once thought you had OCD before because of an obsessions or habit that you pay attention to now and again. An example of this would be wanting to have a very neat or clean house and starting to think that it means you are a “neat freaks”. With this in mind, it would seem fit to diagnose everyone with obsessive-compulsive disorder otherwise known as OCD, yet that is not the case. The main difference with those who are diagnosed with OCD is that these obsessions and compulsions begin to greatly interfere with one’s daily lives while also causing a large amount of distress for the individual (CAMH, 2001).

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 theory that has been created is the serotonin theory, which is that people with OCD have too little serotonin (Thomsen). “Serotonin ensures that nerve impulses are transmitted (Thomsen 95).” A model was created to help understand OCD in children and adults, and this model shows that there are disturbances in the restriction and transmission of certain nerve impulses deep in the brain (Thomsen). Obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions can run free because they have nothing to restrain them (Thomsen).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD, is a disorder that affects about two to three percent of the population (UOCD). Knowing what OCD is and who it affects is just step one in understanding the psychology of this disorder. The psychological symptoms of OCD can be quite varied which can make it difficult to diagnose. Understanding the therapy techniques and how people with OCD live their daily lives is one of the most vital part in the psychology of OCD. While the roots of the disorder may be complex, understanding the disorder in everyday life is quite simple.