OCD, the acronym for obsessive-compulsive disorder, affects 1% - 3% of children in the United States (p.74). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinical disorder categorized as an anxiety disorder, in which one is consumed by both unregulated obsessive thoughts and compulsions thus affecting one’s daily life activities (p.74). As described in the article, obsessions are “ recurring thoughts, impulses or images that exceed typical worries about real-life problems”; while as compulsions are “repetitive behavior or thoughts that an individual feels compelled to execute in response to an obsession.” This journal article discusses the symptoms and etiology of pediatric OCD before presenting the studies on the evidence-based treatment …show more content…
After observing my three year old nephew organize his toy cars in perfect alignment of each other, I start to wonder whether it may be possible that early symptoms of obsessiveness or compulsiveness could begin at such a young age, and, if not addressed, could develop and magnify over time into OCD. Unfortunately, this article only provided two case examples, with both clients exhibiting “just so” OCD symptoms (p.81-82). One example was a 10 year old girl who exhibited OCD symptoms through “rituals” (p.81), otherwise known as repetitive set of actions. The other was 17 year old girl who presented mild OCD symptoms such as “spelling words in her mind” and “picking at her nails” (p.82). In the beginning of the article, it highlighted how 1% - 3% of children are affected by OCD symptoms (p.74). To me, the article fell short of providing case studies. Should the article have covered a wider age range and varying degrees of OCD symptoms, the reader would be able to make his/her own assessment of how early OCD symptoms could possibly begin, and how it can vary from being “just so” to a severe case. For example, maybe taking a case study from 5 - 9 year old range with possible symptoms that could lead to OCD, another from the 10 - 14 year old range with “just so” or mild OCD but able to live a complete normal life, and lastly, from the 15 - 18 year old range with a severe case of OCD which is
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 perfectionist and meticulous. Unfortunately, they do realize those habits and be able to stop doing it. Common behaviors are such as checking locks, doors, stove bottoms, and lights, hand washing, counting things, or having recurrent intrusive thoughts of hurting oneself or somebody else.
Considering the secrecy surrounding OCD symptoms, it is important for family members to pay attention to early signs of ritualistic behaviors becoming troublesome. When OCD is suspected, a comprehensive clinical evaluation – including detailed interviews with parents and, if possible teachers – is required in order to check the obsessions, sensory phenomenon and compulsions in the case. In younger children, OCD features might appear subtly during play activities or drawing. It is vital to differentiate between obsessive compulsive symptoms and normal childhood behavior, such as the normal practice or actions during playtime, food time or bedtime. In this context, the information about degree of distress, impairment and time consumed performing rituals should provide enough data to decide whether or not treatment is warranted. Moreover, it is also important to assess insight and the family’s perception of the symptoms, as well as how family members deal with the patient.
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
Clinically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder, characterized by the inability to restrain obsessive thoughts for sustained periods. In extremis, sufferers obsess identical thoughts for years, in an endlessly exhausting cycle.
The most awakening information comprise of the parental effect of assistance and accommodations provided to a person suffering from OCD. Furthermore, assisting a child in performing his or her rituals can reinforce OCD behavior. Additionally, another piece of interesting information was thought suppression is linked to increasing the frequency and intensity of intrusive thinking and compulsions for suffers of OCD. Throughout the duration of the research project academic growth was gained to support previous reasoning while simultaneously developing new perspectives regarding OCD. Moreover, I further my reasoning and understanding of the combined family, genetic, and learned behavior factors which may contribute to the etiology of OCD.
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.
With so many diverse symptoms that seem to share some commonality, researchers have been driven to identify possible causes and risk factors. The root cause of OCD may not be fully realized, but there are a number of theories. Genetic influence (despite the lack of identification of a specific gene), environmental contributions in the form of debilitating habits, and a lack of serotonin are the main theories. Some of the possible risk factors are family history of the disorder and traumatic experiences. For instance, in the case study of a woman named Sophie who was diagnosed with OCD, there were many conceivable contributing
Keep the environment calm. Rationale: decreased outside stimuli helps the patient relax and reduce urge to perform rituals.
The obsessive concern about order and symmetry occurs in 2/3 of pre-school children, and most intense is in the age of 2 to 4 years. Many preschool children have rituals related to lull (rocking, thumb sucking, request that the light remains on, and so on.) That serve to reduce anxiety at the time of separation or insecurity. In primary school age dominated are obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions related to school (hopping, counting to himself, repeating certain words in situations of tension). As the most common obsession adolescents cite fear of poisoning and thoughts of harming person, and the most common compulsions are rituals related to washing, cleaning, checking and editing. In children with obsessive-compulsive disorders are selective impairments in functioning in school and extracurricular activities are successful, but the quality of relationships with peers is very variable. Most children spend great efforts to conceal and control their compulsions in public, but reduce the control at home. This sometimes led parents to believe that the child really can not control his compulsions and that therefore its behavior experience as an expression of defiance. Parents generally feel helpless and frustrated because they see that their child is losing control over their own behavior and that their assistance does not provide any relief to the child and not diminish his
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,
I decided to write my paper on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children. OCD is a type of anxiety disorder where people feel the need to check things repeatedly. Kids with OCD become preoccupied with whether something could be harmful, dangerous, wrong, or dirty — or with thoughts that unpleasant stuff could happen. It can cause severe anxiety in those affected. Kids with OCD also might worry about things not being "in order" or "just right." They may worry about losing things, constantly feeling the need to collect these items, even though they may seem useless to other people. It includes obsessions and compulsions that take up a great deal of time and affects your daily routine.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been recognized as a pattern of disordered behavior for several centuries, although it was often related to religious ideas and possession by the devil until the early nineteenth century, when doctors began to define the evident behaviors in terms of mental illness (Menzies & De Silva, 2003). Even still, a diagnosis of OCD was largely considered a life sentence as it was believed treatment resistant until the mid-to-late 1960’s (Foa, 2010).
What is OCD? OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. This is a chronic disease that a person will have uncontrollable repeated thoughts and actions/behaviors. These are split up into two different categories, obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness which is recognised by thousands of healthcare professionals and experts around the world, it is estimated that approximately 741,504 people are living with OCD at any one time3. Although this may not seem like a large number, this disorder is one that can have a significant negative impact on someone’s everyday life and can result in them rarely leaving the house and/ or compromising many aspects of their lifestyle. It can present itself in many different forms, which can make it especially difficult to spot, diagnose and begin to treat. In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s guidelines on obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) recommend cognitive–behavioural
In some circumstances children with emotional distress occurs as the result of situational stressors. In this situation children can do well with psychotherapy. However, this is not always the case. It has become prevalent that most mental illnesses have onset during childhood, for example Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). As noted in the Handbook of Clinical Pharmacology for Therapists, thirty-three percent of cases of OCD begin during childhood or