Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves a chemical imbalance in the brain. This chemical imbalance is thought to be the main reason for obsessions and compulsions, although there may be other factors as well.  Nearly one in every fifty people suffers from symptoms of OCD ("Escape"), and approximately 5 million Americans are affected by

There are a wide range of OCD symptoms, but unfortunately, research has showed that there is a long waiting process between the time when an individual begins with OCD symptoms and when they get first-time treatment. With an early diagnosis and treatment, the maximum benefit to the patient will be. Therapies, exercises, balanced-healthy nutrition and others will improved life style and reduce anxiety and fears to help in managing some aspects of an obsessive-compulsive

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 (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by an individual experiencing intrusive thoughts, images, or worries in addition to repetitive, non-functional behaviours that emerge in an effort to suppress anxiety (i.e. compulsions) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Symptoms are often time-consuming, and can cause considerable functional impairments, contribute to increased social isolation, persistent distress and stigma. Although average age of onset of OCD has typically been thought to occur in early adulthood (Minichiello et al., 1990), there is increasing evidence that children as early as 10 years old experience it (Geller, 2001). Recently, more attention has been directed toward the identification and treatment of OCD symptoms in children and adolescents (Penn et al., 1992; Rapoport and Inoff-Germain, 2000). Childhood OCD has been found to be associated with severe disruption in social and academic functioning, family dysfunction and co-morbid emotional and behavioural problems (Albano, March, & Piacentini, 1999).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as just simply OCD, affects from 1% to more than 5% of the total population. This paper gives an overview of current diagnosis criteria, statistical data, causes of the disorder as well as current treatment options. While in the past, most clinicians use drug therapy to treat OCD patients, today treatment options are focusing on a combination of psychological therapy combined with drug therapy in an effort to address underlying problems causing the manifestation of OCD while still treating the symptoms of the disorder.

The diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder is based on criteria set by the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

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

Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, plays a big part in the society that we live in today. Sufferers of OCD who have intrusive thoughts generally have recurring images in their minds that are disturbing or horrific. These thoughts can happen because of something that happened in the person’s life, or they may happen for no specific reason. Obsessive compulsive disorder is a disorder that produces excessive thoughts that cause very repetitive habits and worry Everyone has an amount of OCD, but some are more threatening to an individual’s well-being.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD) within the Cognitive Theory (CT) model in the realm of explaining the causes of OCD. We identify what this disorder is, and touch on its history. In relation to CT we look at the different sections of CT: Exaggerated responsibility, importance of thoughts, exaggerations of threats, and perfectionism. Following this we look at the treatment options for OCD.

With all these symptoms mentioned, and alterations within the body, there is a wide range of treatment that OCD patients can undergo. Unfortunately, OCD cannot be cured, and many researchers consider it to be a life-long disorder; however, its symptoms can be managed through the proper medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are used as part of treatment, as they reduce depression by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. SSRI’s block the reuptake of serotonin, making more serotonin available for further use. Anti-depressants are also used when the patient reaches a point of helplessness, and possibly depression. On the other hand, anti-anxiety medication can also be utilized to help ease the patient’s anxiety when bombarded with discomforting obsessions that lead to compulsions. Exposure and response prevention therapy is utilized during cognitive-behavior therapy, where the psychologist or psychiatrist expose the patient to situations that provoke certain obsessions and anxiety, where the patient feels the urge to perform certain compulsions in order to reduce or end the anxiety he/she is feeling. The medical caregiver’s job is to help the patient overcome these obsessions by not performing the compulsions. The purpose of this type of therapy is to teach patients that abstaining from performing these compulsions will not result in these perceived harmful consequences (Abramowitz and Taylor, 2009). The therapy helps

The primary intention when writing this paper is to clearly articulate how chronic and severe OCD is for those with the diagnosis and to help to remove the stigma and embarrassment associated with it (Pittenger, C., et al 2005, November). To begin to understand this disorder, one must look to the historical origins of it. In the 1600s, having symptoms of OCD were perceived as symptoms of melancholia, a form of severe depression. For hundreds of years, OCD went misunderstood and undiagnosed. It was not until the beginning and middle of the 20th century that two figures brought OCD to the level of understanding and diagnosis that we have as a combined disorder today (Karr, L. J. 2010, August 29). These two men were Sigmund Freud and Pierre Janet, both pillars of the modern psychology. While these men disagreed about the causes of compulsive behaviors and obsessions, they created a better understanding of OCD through their theories and research. This paved the way for the research done by future psychiatrists and mental health professionals into the relationship between anxiety, obsessions, and compulsive behavior.

In the first issues of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), obsessions and compulsions – and then later obsessive-compulsive disorder – were under the category of anxiety disorders. Since then, the DSM has been changed to include a separate category called “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders” (Ameringen, et al., 2014). This is due to the fact that there are many different factors that differ between anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, including “course of illness, comorbidity, familiarity, genetic risk factors and biomarkers, personality correlates, cognitive-emotional processing, and treatment response” (Ameringen, et al., 2014, p. 488). These differences are critical for showing the discrepancy between these

Many OCD symptoms are represented by at least four to five symptom dimensions. This experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between OCD symptoms, and OCD cognition. They did so, by using the “Gold Standard” clinician-administrate red scale for OCD the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOSC). I will be using information from the results portion of their experiment.

The precise cause of OCD is still unidentified. Different psychological perceptions have projected theories which attempt to describe how OCD might progress. Psychoanalytic theory views obsessive ideation to be the consequence of repression (Emmelkamp, 1982). As the defense mechanism fails, repressed material is remembered, but it is altered before reaching consciousness and emerges in the form of obsessive thoughts. The classical conditioning of fear happens after a traumatic event, yet most OCD patients report that they cannot relate such an experience to the onset of OCD symptoms. If there was a trauma, it usually occurs at a time much earlier than the onset of OCD, which is not consistent with the operation of classical conditioning (Emmelkamp,

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a disease that many people know of, but few people know about. Many people associate repeated washing of hands, or flicking of switches, and even cleanliness with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), however there are many more symptoms, and there are also explanations for those symptoms. In this paper, I will describe what obsessive compulsive disorder is, explain some of the effects of it, and explain why it happens. I will also attempt to prove that while medication doesn’t cure OCD, it vastly improves one’s quality of life. Furthermore I intend to show that behavior therapy (cognitive based therapy) is another useful tool in helping a person to overcome their OCD.