Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Essay

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…

417) The obsessive thoughts and compulsive rituals performed by those with the disorder can often be alienating. They may find it difficult to maintain romantic relationships and friendships. Another alienating factor to this condition is the fact that many people don't know or understand what OCD is or what it looks like; if they witness an OCD sufferer performing rituals, they may think he or she is just crazy. They don't realize that a sufferer from this disorder literally does not have control…

brain injury can cause someone to experience Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (NAMI). People also can suffer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder after enduring a very traumatic or stressful event. Irrational obsessions and compulsions that are repetitive also called rituals and are the most prevalent symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The most common fixation is the necessity to be sanitized. People with this type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have to keep everything clean and uncontaminated;…

and contamination. The person may spend up to several hours each day washing their hands or showering, and generally attempts to avoid items that they perceive as sources of contamination. (1) A second subtype of the disorder is extreme doubt joined with compulsive checking; while some sufferers are preoccupied with symmetry, most people exhibiting this subtype are concerned with the safety of others. While checking something, such as the status of an appliance, would alleviate the doubt…

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…

compulsions (Goli, Krishtan, & Ellinwood, 1991). Those affected with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder do not derive pleasure while performing the behaviors or rituals, rather they get a brief relief from the anxiety that the recurrent thoughts cause, and as a result, sometimes report spending in excess of 1 hour a day on the thoughts and rituals, which cause distress and often interfere with daily life (What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?). The afflicted individual does, in fact, realize the futility…

feature. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is the fourth most common mental disorder. Statistics show that “one in 50 adults” in the United States have OCD. People with OCD frequently seek the pleasure or relief of performing actions that are related to the anxiety. Additionally, they may recognize the thoughts and behaviors to be irrational; even so, it can be difficult for people to resist them and break free. In general, studies show that the average person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will…

Many times these subsets can combine, causing additional stress and anxiety to the sufferer. The causes for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are by problems in neuroanatomy and neurochemistry (Stein, 2002). Recent studies involving brain imaging have shown that abnormalities are found in patients with OCD (Stein, 2002). These abnormalities include “decreased volume or increased grey matter in cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuits” (Stein, 2002). The frontal orbito-striatal area and the dorsolateral…

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). Many patients believe that they somehow caused themselves to have these compulsive behaviors and obsessive thoughts. According to Neziraglu (1999), this is completely untrue; OCD is likely caused by a number of intertwined and complex factors…

Scientists know that there are certain genes that cause this disorder, but as of now, they haven’t been able to pinpoint the specific gene. It is believed that OCD is caused as a result of a problem with the chemicals that deliver nerve cells to the brain. When the nerve cells are unable to reach the brain, or there are not enough delivered to the brain, the person can begin to dwell on certain things, leaving them with a feeling of doubt and worry. There are some rare cases, where young children…