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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Fai Alhoshan\ Pre.Med A Essay #1 (first draft) September, 10th,2015 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder where patients are plagued with repeated obsessions or compulsions or, most commonly, both. The exact cause of OCD has not been known yet, but it is significantly common among relatives. Although there is no cure for it, detecting it early and treating it properly can help in the majority of cases. OCD affects all aspects of individuals’ lives and sometimes could lead to a sever depression. In addition, A study was conducted regarding the prevalence of OCD has estimated that OCD is the “fourth most common mental illness after phobias, substance abuse, and major depression.” Moreover, …show more content…

OCD can be misdiagnosed with other mental disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and Tic disorders, yet there are major differences to be alert about. First, regarding the two components of OCD, obsessions and compulsions, obsessions can manifest as recurrent thoughts or images that the affected individuals cannot control. These intrusive thoughts have a significant influence on persons’ lifestyle and behavior. Although individuals attempt to ignore and suppress them with other thoughts, they tend to appear constantly all the time. Persist thoughts or images of close people being harmed are one example of obsessions. Other examples include an exaggerated fear of being contaminated or continuous doubts about forgetting to lock doors …show more content…

As there are two factors to be considered when determining the symptoms (obsessions and compulsions), OCD patients rarely have only one or two clear signs. It can be noticed as: aggressive actions, seeking symmetry and order, continuous fear, and the need to carry actions to perfection. Moreover, some patients can sense their unreasonable actions and seek medical or psychological help; however, OCD is a self-diagnosable disorder, which means that a patient could find out whether he is affected by using a special scale. Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale is a scale rated from zero to forty that measures the rate of severity of the

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