Mental Illness in the United States

Obsessive compulsive disorder commonly (OCD) can be defined as an anxiety disorder differentiated by acts of compulsiveness or continual thoughts of obsession. Persistent thoughts, images, and desires are characteristics of obsessions. These thoughts, images, and desires are not typically willed into one’s mind as they are often senseless, illogical, aggressive, taboo, etc. Compulsive acts are unrealistic and repetitive behaviors. The fear of contamination with germs, dirt, or grease is the most common obsession, which leads to thoroughgoing or compulsive cleansing rituals. Religion, sex,

Obsessions generate anxiety that may be at least partially relieved by performance of the compulsive rituals. The compulsion is repetitive or ritualistic behavior that the person feels compelled to perform. Compulsions typically occur in response to obsessional thoughts and are frequent and forceful enough to interfere with daily life or cause significant distress. They may believe that the compulsive ritual will help prevent a dreaded event, such as germ

Girl Interrupted Kimberly Hodges Video Analysis 1. In the film ‘Girl Interrupted’ some of the characters experience extreme emotions. Describe 3 separate instances where a character is experiencing extreme emotions.

One kind of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This disease can ruin a person's life because it causes them to have repetitive thoughts and behaviors towards certain things. Life can become very difficult because this way of thinking and acting is very difficult to overcome, especially since the obsessions have no point and are stressful for the person. It begins to interfere with the person's school, work, and/or home.

both obsessions and compulsions. However, it is possible for a person to have obsessive or

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry. The acts of those who have OCD may appear paranoid and potentially psychotic. However, OCD sufferers generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational and may become further distressed by this realization. Obsessive–compulsive disorder affects children and adolescents, as well as adults. Roughly one third to one half of adults with OCD reports a childhood onset of the disorder, suggesting the continuum of anxiety disorders across the life span. OCD may be a result of changes in your body's own natural chemistry or brain functions. OCD also may have a genetic component, but

OCD is, as suggested by the name, defined by the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. The American Psychiatric Association ([APA], 2013) outlines obsessions as intrusive and anxiety-provoking recurrent thoughts, images, or urges which a person tries to suppress or neutralize. Compulsions are identified as behaviors or mental acts performed excessively in a rigid manner as an attempt to alleviate distress caused by obsessions or prevent a dreaded event (APA, 2013). Obsessions and compulsions reach a clinically significant level when they absorb an exorbitant amount of time (e.g., one hour daily), or impair a person in one or more major life domains (e.g., social or occupational functioning), and cannot be better explained by substance use or another medical or psychological condition (APA, 2013).

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. The behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety related to the obsessions or prevent something bad from happening. Mayo Clinic (2013) provided examples of symptoms such as:

An Obsessive Compulsive Disorder includes four types and they are intrusive thoughts, constant checking, fear of contamination and hoarding. Intrusive thoughts are when a person is tortured with obsessional brain-work that is disquieting and frightening. As a result of intrusive thoughts being disturbing, it becomes an agony. Intrusive thoughts contain relationships, fear of sexual thoughts, magical thinking, religion and violent thoughts. Constant checking is the want to check things constantly and the obsessive of constant checking is the worry of damage or harm. Constant checking is regularly done numerous times a day for hours. Contamination is the requirement to continually wash and clean and contamination is the obsessive terror that can

A very simple definition of this disorder is “unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings” (Clark, Radomsky). There are many factors rather than just one instance that has to occur for a person to be able to be diagnosed with OCD. It has to repeatedly occur and has to be extreme that it interferes with a person’s daily life. An obsession is where one has a thought, image, or impulse which keeps occurring. The compulsion is the action in which one person does to relieve the obsession. A person will lose control of their mind if they are cannot perform their compulsive act. The Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorder explains that “OCD is caused by damage to a specific part of the brain called the basal ganglia” (Gorbis). This means not only is there a mental aspect but also a biological aspect of this disorder. Once these researchers found where the primary area for OCD is located, they researched further to define more clearly where it is

OCD is characterized by two types, obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts that persistently and continually occupy the mind. Examples of obsessions include the need for symmetry, such as fixing shelves and or furniture until they are perfectly centered and symmetrical. Forbidden thoughts or actions, many people with OCD have thoughts that are not typical or accepted to have in their culture. Cleaning and contamination, this can manifest as the thought that objects or surfaces are unclean or the thought that if they were to come in contact with it may make the person ill. It is unclear what causes these obsessions, but it has been suggested that, “obsessions might be triggered by stimuli in the environment (e.g., a religious icon or driving a car) or occur without an apparent trigger (e.g., the impulse to yell a curse word in a place of worship)” (Abramowitz & Jacoby, 2014). Compulsions, on the other hand, are the rituals or actions that are done in response to the obsessions. Often the rituals are trying to give relief to the controlling thoughts. In other words, they may gain a sense of control from these rituals that help them cope with their inability to control the invasive thoughts they are having. Examples

Obsession. Obsession of objects, the only remaining object on a list of collectors’ items, years spent trying to finish it. Obsession of hobbies, spending hours a day in the garage rummaging through thousands of dollars worth of car parts to finally create the go kart of a child’s dreams. Obsession of people, that one person who someone can’t stop fantasizing about despite having only spoken to them once. It envelops humans in a sense of belonging, purpose.

Obsessions are characterized by the appearance of obsessive doubts, views, ideas, fears, thoughts, and combinations thereof. They are fairly stable. They return if a person tries to get rid of them by ignoring or in some other way. A person recognizes the irrationality and senselessness of these thoughts

While we may not think of certain everyday behaviors we carry out as obsessive or compulsive, many of us perform such actions without a second thought. These obsessions and compulsions may actually be socially acceptable, and do not cause alarm or have a significant impact on our lives.