What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Essay

Obsessive compulsive disorder commonly (OCD) can be defined as an anxiety disorder differentiated by acts of compulsiveness or continual thoughts of obsession. Persistent thoughts, images, and desires are characteristics of obsessions. These thoughts, images, and desires are not typically willed into one’s mind as they are often senseless, illogical, aggressive, taboo, etc. Compulsive acts are unrealistic and repetitive behaviors. The fear of contamination with germs, dirt, or grease is the most common obsession, which leads to thoroughgoing or compulsive cleansing rituals. Religion, sex,

Obsessive compulsive disorder, or ODC when shortened, is an anxiety disorder in which the sufferer has many unwanted obsessions often with many repetitive compulsions. The National Institute of Mental Health says “People with OCD may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals.” People suffering from this disorder are frequently washing their hands and keeping things in order. While the exact cause of this disorder is still unknown to scientists. This disorder is believed to have its roots in psychological problems often developed during childhood. Obsessive compulsive disorder is a problem that can be found almost all places around the globe and can be found in almost

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder which it symptoms are having routines, or thoughts repeatedly with no ability to avoid the fear and stop them. Some people are aware of those habits, and they realize that those rituals do not make sense, but there is no an easy way to get out of them. Counting all the clothes, shoes, magazines and lie in in a straight line are illustrations when obsessive-compulsive symptoms arrive.

Always washing your hands? Or perhaps you are always counting things or checking things. Are these actions taking over your life or constantly occupying your mind? Perhaps you have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It was once thought that OCD was rare; however, recently it has been found that 2-3% (or 7 million Americans) of people have OCD. People with OCD are usually diagnosed by between the ages of 20 and 30, and about 75% of those who will develop OCD will show symptoms by age 30. (1) This leads to a couple questions that need to be answered: What is OCD? What causes it, and what is the most effective treatment? These questions will be answered throughout the paper.

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.

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

Girl Interrupted Kimberly Hodges Video Analysis 1. In the film ‘Girl Interrupted’ some of the characters experience extreme emotions. Describe 3 separate instances where a character is experiencing extreme emotions.

OCD plagues people with intrusive, unwanted thoughts or obsessions, which are rarely pleasant. People who have these obsessions recognize that they are senseless. Still, they are unable to stop them. They may worry about

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent disorder in the population affecting 1 to 17% of the population (Silverman, Ginsburg, & Kurtines, 1995). It is characterized by repetition of thoughts that cause significant distress to the individual along with compulsory behavior, whether overt or covert intended to alleviate the feelings of distress (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000). Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not only debilitating to the diagnosed individual but it affects the diagnosed individual’s family members as well (Silverman, Ginsburg, & Kurtines, 1995). Due to the disorder’s impactful nature on the family, treatment often entails that of family members (Silverman et al., 1995). Keeping in mind the prevalence

Obsessions are unwanted ideas or impulses that repeatedly well up in the mind of a person with OCD. These are thoughts and ideas that the sufferer cannot stop thinking about. A sufferer will almost always obsess over something which he or she is most afraid of. Common ideas include persistent fears that harm may come to self or a loved one, an unreasonable concern with becoming contaminated, or an excessive need to do things correctly or perfectly. Again and again, the individual experiences a disturbing thought, such as, "My hands may be contaminated -- I must wash them" or "I may have left the gas on" or "I am going to injure my child." These thoughts tend to be intrusive, unpleasant, and produce a high degree of anxiety. Sometimes the obsessions are of a violent or a sexual nature, or concern illness. People with OCD who obsess over hurting themselves or others are actually less likely to do so than the average person. Obsessions are typically automatic, frequent, distressing, and difficult to control or put an end to by themselves. With these reoccurring obsessions continuously being played in the sufferers mind, they start performing repetitive acts that reassure them that their hands aren’t dirty, or the gas for the stove is turned of. This response to their obsession is called a compulsion.

Obsessions are unwanted, repetitive, and invasive ideas, impulses, or images repeatedly going through the mind of the person with OCD (Hinds, Woody, Ameringen, Schmidt, & Szechtman, 2012). The most common obsessions are continual paranoid fears, a concern with becoming contaminated such as dirt and germs, or an excessive need to do things perfectly (McCarty, Guzick, Swan, & McNamara, 2016). The main reason for an obsession is the uncertainty that something has been done incorrectly. For example, a person might think a bowl is contaminated and think it’s not clean. They react by repeatedly washing the bowl. The thoughts are disturbing and unpleasant and create a high level of anxiety. Some other examples of obsessions are the fear of being hurt,

All human beings have certain routines and habits that allow them to stay safe, healthy, and clean. However, people like Lisa, who experience some unwanted and intrusive obsessions, along with repetitive routines and behaviors, suffer from OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder. In order for them to ease their anxiety, they perform these activities to an extent that they affect their daily lives. Sometimes this is done in order to lessen certain worries or fears, and others in order to avoid injuring someone or causing damage to something. While patients with OCD understand that their behavior is not rational and has no logic, they are unable to control it or stop it. Examples of some obsessions that may lead to compulsions are an excessive

Imagine not being able to just pick up your keys, walk out of the house, lock the car and walk away, or quickly wash your hands. Something most people do without giving it another thought. My days were filled with checking, counting, washing for hours. By the end of the day I was physically and mentally exhausted.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD, is a disorder that affects about two to three percent of the population (UOCD). Knowing what OCD is and who it affects is just step one in understanding the psychology of this disorder. The psychological symptoms of OCD can be quite varied which can make it difficult to diagnose. Understanding the therapy techniques and how people with OCD live their daily lives is one of the most vital part in the psychology of OCD. While the roots of the disorder may be complex, understanding the disorder in everyday life is quite simple.

In a general view, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is associated with obsessions and compulsions. The obsessions are recurrent thoughts, fears, images, ideas, urges, and doubts. Patients suffering from this disorder often go through fluctuating episodes of compulsion which are in response to an obsessive thought, such as arranging, touching, repeatedly checking on something, and recurrent hand-washing. The patient experiences repeated rise in anxiety from the obsessions, that compels them to indulge in their compulsions as a form of relief (Brown University, 2013). Most of the patients suffering