The following is an overview about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), one of the most difficult psychiatric illness to be understood. The way of doing certain behaviors, thoughts or routines repeatedly is the essential condition of a person with OCD. In general, it is known and described by someone who is extremely
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder where the affected feel the need to check things often and repeatedly, perform specific routines over and over, or have specific thoughts repeatedly. Sufferers are unable to control either their actions or thoughts when certain tasks are being performed. Common actions include randomly counting things as if it was meaningful, checking to see if doors are locked, and hand washing. Some people may have trouble throwing things away, or getting rid of old trash. These actions occur to such severity that the sufferer's daily life is negatively affected. Sufferers often produce these negative actions for at least an hour a day. Most adults with OCD are able to realize themselves performing
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also called OCD, is characterized by two behaviors – obsessions and compulsions. A person with OCD has an obsession or persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thought, which leads them to do actions or compulsions that’s ritualistic in nature. They do these actions to temporarily relieve the anxiety that they
For instance, a common scenario of those who suffer from OCD are those who are obsessed with germs or dirt. In order for them to alleviate their obsession they mush wash their hands excessively to the point that their hands have become sore and are almost bleeding because they fear that other peoples gems have contaminated them done by shaking hands or touching objects others have touched. This of course is just one example of obsession of those that have this disorder. Other examples of obsessions include having things orderly and symmetrical, having frequent thought of violence and hurting loved ones, continuously thinking about performing sexual acts that the person displeasures, or having illicit thoughts about religious beliefs.
Repeating numbers, thoughts, and actions. This is what a person with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has to deal with every day. Most of the time, people with OCD feel as though they always have germs on them. They feel like they cannot get rid of them. People with OCD have
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is known as the incessant of distressing thoughts or images which is known to be the (obsessions) or overt or convert the behaviors (or the mental rituals) that are aimed to help reduce anxiety (compulsions). This disorder has an effect on 1-2% of children and adults, that ranges up to 80% for adults that report of having symptoms onset prior to the young age of 18 years. It’s is known that without the appropriate type of intervention, the symptoms of OCD have an intensity to run a chronic course through childhood into adulthood. For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can contribute to considerable impairments that come across multiple domains of functioning, resulting in having to go through effective and
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is known to be an anxiety disorder that causes repetitiveness that are uncontrollable and performed by an individual. The thoughts and behaviors are usually irrational but an individual may feel unable to resist them. Some examples of OCD are washing of hands and locking the door over and over again.
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).
Rebecca Howell In the field of Psychology there are a number of psychological disorders as well categories in which these disorders are placed. Psychological disorders are categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; the manual is now in its fifth edition, which is known as the DSM-5. In the DSM-5, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is categorized with other compulsive disorders. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is a condition “marked by persistent, uncontrollable intrusions of unwanted thoughts or obsessions and urges to engage in senseless rituals called compulsions” (Weiten, 2015). Some examples of these obsessions or urges include persistent hand washing, counting, and extensive checking such as if doors are locked or ovens are turned off. In OCD some of the actions performed by those who suffer from the disorder become very intrusive and become a factor that interrupts their daily lives and may cause problems at home, work, in relationships and more (Baldridge, 2016). The number of individuals who suffer from this disorder ranges form 2 to 3 percent of the population (Weiten, 2015). People typically begin suffering from OCD between late childhood and early adulthood (Baldridge, 2016). The onset of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder often occurs following a stressful life event (Baldridge, 2016). In order to meet the criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder the compulsions and obsessions must cause distress and cause an
OCD is an anxiety 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)
In some ways, OCD can be analogized to the formation of bad habits, such as biting your nails or twirling your hair when you become nervous. Doidge, in his chapter, Redesigning the Brain, describes how competitive plasticity, or the dropping of obsolete neural circuits in order to add more relevant connections, is the reason behind why bad habits, like cleaning and hand washing rituals, are difficult to be reversed. As we repeat bad habits over and over again, the circuits behind those bad habits gain more control of the brain map, or neural networking in the brain, which, in effect, then prevents the formation of additional neural circuits (Doidge, 60). In the case of OCD, the repetition of rituals, such as hand washing or obsessively counting things whenever you feel dirty or contaminated, reinforces the neural circuits responsible for those compulsions, thus allowing them to take over more of the brain map and making them harder to
There are different mental disorders that a person may suffer from. Each of these disorders have different attributes and characteristics which makes them unique and requires different treatments too. one of these mental disorders that quite a number of people suffer from – whether they are conscious about it or
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
INTRODUCTION Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder, which causes an individual to have intrusive thoughts of a frightening or disturbing nature, which in turn may cause a person to do things repeatedly. It is characterized by obsessive thoughts and/ or compulsive behaviors that significantly interfere with normal life. Obsessions are unwanted, recurrent, and disturbing thoughts, which the person cannot suppress, and which can cause overwhelming anxiety. They are not voluntarily produced, but are experienced as events that invade a person 's consciousness. The person neither wants nor welcomes them instead they usually resist them and will try to get rid of them (Desilva and Rachman, 1992, pg. 8). Compulsions are repetitive, ritualized behaviors that compulsive rituals can occupy many hours of each day (# 1OCD). The activity is not connected in a logical or realistic way with what is intended to achieve or it may be clearly excessive. The person recognizes the senselessness or irrationality of the behavior and does not derive any pleasure from carrying it out although it provides a release of tension or a feeling of relief in the short term (Desilva and Rachman, 1992, pg. 9). OCD usually begins in adolescence or young adulthood and is seen in as many as 1 in 200 children and adolescents.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is considered a neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifelong predominance somewhere around 2% and 4% which happens at a 1:1 male-to-female ratio (Olbrich et al, 2013). It is portrayed by intermittent and frequently incapacitating obsessions or compulsions that are perceived by the person as absurd. Obsessions are nervous-inciting, intrusive thoughts, normally concerning contamination, question, guilt, animosity and sex. Compulsions are exceptional practices that lessen nervousness, generally hand-washing, sorting out, checking, and praying. The etiology might be connected with anomalies of serotonin metabolism and also there are confirmations of heritability (Pogarell et al, 2006).