Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay

“I know my hands are clean. I know that I have touched nothing dangerous. But… I doubt my perception. Soon, if I do not wash, a mind numbing, searing anxiety will cripple me.

This usually occurs when they are not obsessing. They know that their obsessions and compulsions are based on unwarranted fears. However, there are other times when they feel that their fears are completely valid. Even though people with OCD know that their fears are unwarranted, many try to rid themselves of these unwanted, obsessive thoughts and to stop performing their compulsive behaviors. Some can control themselves more while at work or at school. However, over the months or years, people's abilities to resist their feelings weaken and in the some cases, these rituals that the people with OCD perform can become so time-consuming which impedes their ability to have a full and normal life. Although OCD can consume one's life, people try to keep their disorder from their friends rather than to seek help. Most of the time people are successful in keeping it a secret from their friends and co-workers, but the downside is that they do not get the necessary help until years later after which they have learned to work their lives around their obsessions and compulsions. (4)

Pharmacological treatment is based on the evidence that serotonin is a key chemical involved in obsessive compulsive disorder. Studies have proven that serotonin based antidepressants have been evidently effective.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is the fourth most common mental illness in the U.S. (8). OCD affects five million Americans, or one in five people (3). This is a serious mental disorder that causes people to think and act certain things repetitively in order to calm the anxiety produced by a certain fear. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure; rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by obsessions (2). OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (6). This disorder can be therapeutically treated, but not cured.

There have been no genes identified specifically for OCD, although research shows that genes do play a part in the development of OCD. Development of OCD during childhood runs in families. If one or both parents have OCD, there is a bigger chance that the child will have OCD, but it is still a very low chance. Other than this, there is no proven cause of OCD. Research shows that OCD is the result of problems with communication between the front part of the brain and deeper structures. These two brain structures use the chemical serotonin and low levels of serotonin is thought to be involved in OCD. Therefore, drugs that increase serotonin levels often help with the symptoms of OCD. Another form of treatment for OCD is called cognitive behavior therapy and has shown to be effective in both children and adults. This type of therapy involves retraining your thoughts and routines so that the compulsions are no longer necessary. This therapy usually exposes you to your fear or obsession and teaches you healthy ways to deal with it. People with OCD

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

There are two treatment options for people with OCD: therapy or drugs. While some literature has argued for the benefits of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychosurgery, they are no longer popular options for those with OCD, since they have proven more harmful than good. The same goes for treatment with drugs since it relies on paper cooperation, comes with side effects, and does not last once the patient stops taking

People with OCD usually have considerable insight into their own problems. Most of the time, they know that their obsessive thoughts are senseless or exaggerated, and that their compulsive behaviors are not really necessary. However, this knowledge is not sufficient to enable them to stop obsessing or the carrying out of rituals.

Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) has been in existence for many years. Debilitating it’s sufferers from partaking in activities they may enjoy because of both the sufferers obsessions and compulsions causing them to feel somewhat outcast from their fellow members of society. In this essay symptoms of OCD will be outlined; also the most empirically researched method of treatment Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), along with the process involved in treating a patient with this kind of therapy. The mistakes made by practitioners in the implementation of this treatment will be addressed. Also, pharmacotherapy will be briefly analysed as a means of improving efficacy. It will be concluded that Exposure Response Prevention treatment in

Worries, doubts, superstitious beliefs- all are common worries of everyday life. However, when they become excessive, or make no sense at all, then a diagnosis is made. In OCD, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just can’t let go, no matter how hard they may try. OCD is a medical brain disorder that causes problems in information processing (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation [OCD Foundation], 2000).

Treatment for OCD is no different than any other anxiety disorder. The treatments consist of medication and behavioral therapy. The medication sometimes is not effective but another medication should be tried in the non-effective ones place. Some medications that are used to treat OCD are: clomipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and paroxetine. Behavioral therapy is another effective treatment for OCD. Therapist use a method called “exposure and response prevention.” This method has proven useful in the treatment of OCD patients because the patient is voluntarily put in a situation that could possibly trigger and OCD attack,

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, involves anxious thoughts or rituals one feels and can't control. . For many years, OCD was thought to be rare. The actual number of people with OCD was hidden, because people would hide their problem to avoid embarrassment. Some recent studies show that as many as 3 million Americans ages 18 to 54 may have OCD at any one time. This is about 2.3% of the people in this age group. It strikes men and women in approximately equal numbers and usually first appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. One-third of adults with OCD report having experienced their first symptoms as children. The course of the disease is variable. Symptoms may come

Obsessive compulsive disorder is influenced by neurological factors with symptoms such as repeating steps, continuously washing their hands, and having a fear of objects like germs. Although there is no cure, there are treatments such as medication and therapy that can help lessen the patient’s anxiety and discomfort.

Knowing what OCD is the first step in understanding the psychology of the disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over” (NIMH). The obsessive part of OCD is intrusive, repetitive thoughts the cause anxiety, and the compulsion part is the need to perform an act or ritual repeatedly. The obsession causes anxiety and the compulsion relieves the anxiety.

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.