Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Checking to make sure the stove is turned off, or double checking that the car is locked are all normal things. But a person with obsessive compulsive disorder may participate in these same actions, the only difference is it is much more intense. According to the National Institute of Mental Health those who have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have an impulse to check things multiple times, have rituals, thoughts and routines that they repeat over and over (National Institute of Health, 2013). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention further defines OCD, by having both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions have two aspects to them and include having thoughts, impulses or images that repeatedly happen and are generally unwanted.

What is OCD? OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a psychological disorder that makes an individual have a great deal of anxiety due to unwanted thoughts. The individual will try to reduce it by engaging in repetitive behaviors or compulsions. OCD is a part of an individual’s everyday life, so it is natural to have some obsessive thoughts. However, when it interferes with your every day lifestyle, then the individual knows that it’s a disorder. An example of the most common OCD that someone may encounter are contamination, accidental harm to others, perfection when it comes to washing, cleaning, or arrangement of things. Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms can change over time. It is most common

Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is a type of severe anxiety disorder that impacts an individual’s entire life and way of functioning. Obsessions are considered intrusive and recurrent thoughts or impulses that cannot be removed through reasoning. Compulsions are the repetitive and ritualistic behaviors and actions that associate with the obsessions. These compulsions are to be performed according to specific rules or methods and are thought to prevent or reduce stress and feared situations. Both compulsions and obsessions cause disabling levels of anxiety. The individual affected is often able to recognize the behavior as excessive and irrational, but is unable to control or stop the behaviors without intervention.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) was once considered a rare disease, but today, it is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders present among society. OCD is described as “intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions), which increase anxiety, and by repetitive or ritualistic actions (compulsions), which decrease anxiety” (Stein, 2002). In the DSM-IV, Obsessive compulsive disorder can be diagnosed through observable behaviours or repetitive mental habits. Symptoms include; the constant washing of hands, and/or fears concerning danger to others or to self – resulting in frequent paranoia. OCD has been linked with lesions in various neurological circuits of the brain due to the consumption of dopamine agonists (for example, cocaine). In order for obsessive compulsive disorder to take clinical significance, dysfunction and distress must follow symptoms. The treatment of OCD was initially developed in the Freudian era, as psychoanalytical treatment was seen as the most effective treatment at the time for mind management. Conversely, recent empirical evidence proved otherwise. Pharmacological therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, also known as systematic desensitization are nowadays the most prominent remedies used in treating obsessive compulsive disorder.

            OCD is a condition “in which people experience repetitive and upsetting thoughts and/or behaviors” (OCDA).  While there are many variation of the disease, those suffering from OCD show signs in either or both of two categories: obsession and compulsion.  The obsessive factor varies from thoughts to images or to impulses.  These obsessions are often frequent, upsetting, and

Obsessive compulsion disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder described by irrational thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive tasks (compulsions) (Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, 2013). When a person has obsessive-compulsive disorder, they may realize that their obsessions aren't accurate, and they may try to overlook them but that only increases their suffering and worry. Eventually, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts to ease your stressful feelings. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often driven by a reason, cause, or fear for example, a fear of germs. To calm the feeling of this fear, a person may compulsively wash their hands until they're sore and chapped. Despite their efforts, thoughts of obsessive-compulsive behavior keep coming back. This leads to more ritualistic behavior and a brutal cycle of obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder, and is diagnosed nearly as often as asthma and diabetes (Who We Are, 2012). In the United States, one in 50 adults suffers from OCD. Obsessive compulsive disorder affects children, adolescents, and adults. About one third to one half of adults with OCD report a childhood onset of the disorder, they felt these anxieties but were not diagnosed or felt no need to be diagnosed until the compulsions over whelmed them (Who We Are, 2012). The phrase obsessive compulsive has been used to describe excessively meticulous, perfectionistic, absorbed, or otherwise fixated person. While

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by obsession, compulsion, or both. The condition typically affects individuals during childhood or adolescence and often continues until adulthood. Obsessions are characterized by intrusive thought or urges that lead to anxiety and distress. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that the person feels compelled to accomplish according to set rules.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is psychological disorder whose main symptoms consists of mainly compulsions and obsessions. This disorder causes one to have thoughts that make them feel distressed in situations they perceive is of great danger to them. It affects all ages and ethnicity, but it is at its peak when they get stuck in the cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Common types of obsessions would be the fear of getting contaminated with germs and the need for symmetry and exactness. Common types of compulsions would the perceived as a ritual, along with frequency of excessive cleaning and repeating routines.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined by having unwanted and intrusive obsessions and responding to these obsessions with compulsions. There are a couple circulatory abnormalities in patients with OCD including the thalamus and prefrontal cortex. These abnormalities are thought to be the cause of the disorder. Treatment options for OCD include behavioral therapy and the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Switching SSRIs can lead to serotonin syndrome if patients do not let one drug out of their system before taking the new one. Patients sometimes use both treatments in effort to maximize results. Patients with OCD understand that their compulsions are absurd, but cannot help satisfying their compulsion.

Medication therapy. Tricyclic antidepressants, such as Anafranil, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, such as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft may be valuable in treating OCD.

available. Due to the fact that it is believed that serotonin levels play a role in OCD, medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) these are medications more commonly known as anti-depressants and

It is perfectly normal to double check things from time to time. However, if it becomes a habit that you have to check things numerous times that you have become obsessed with doing this routine over and over again then this may be a problem. People that feel the urge to check things repetitively, or have particular thoughts or perform routines and rituals numerous times have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The frequent thoughts that cause the anxiety in those are obsessions and the overwhelming urge to repeat the behaviors to alleviate their anxiety are compulsions. People who suffer with OCD have no control over their obsessions and compulsions, and this disorder often times ends up controlling the person; which affects their daily life.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder that causes someone to have unwanted and troubling thoughts and repetitive behaviors (Lack, 2012). People may self-diagnose themselves to be obsessive compulsive. But people with obsessive compulsive disorder need to spend at least 1 hour daily on obsessive thoughts and rituals (Ellyson, 2014). This disorder is broken into two parts. The first part is obsessions, thoughts or images, and the second part is compulsions, the repetitive behaviors caused by the obsessions (Brakoulias, 2015). An example of obsessive compulsive disorder would be someone checking the locked door multiple times to reduce anxiety about forgetting to lock the door. On average 5% of the population has subclinical symptoms which are considered to be symptoms that are not disruptive enough to meet criteria to be diagnosed obsessive compulsive (Lack, 2012). Dropping what you’re doing to go back and check if your curling iron is unplugged is an example of a subclinical symptom. This paper will discuss what obsessive compulsive disorder is and provide a brief history. It will also include current treatments, suggestions on how to treat the disorder, and a summary.

Obsessive compulsive disorder also known as OCD, is an anxiety disorder. People who have this disorder have repetitive thoughts and behaviors that they cannot control. A chemical imbalance of the neurotransmitter serotonin throws off communication in the brain. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (2015), it can also cause impulses that manifest through obsessions, ideas, and images. The next part of this disorder is compulsions. These are the behaviors that people who have this disorder perform in order to get rid of the uncontrollable thoughts and feelings.

Clinically, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is when unwanted thoughts, images, or urges persist in a person’s mind and often results in an increase in anxiety. The