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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the fourth most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the
United States. OCD is characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears that lead people who suffer from the disease to do repetitive behaviors. People who suffer the disease may or may not realize that their personal obsessions aren’t reasonable, and may try to ignore them or stop them.
Unfortunately, this only leads to an increase in distress and anxiety. OCD often usually include both obsessions and compulsions. However, it is possible for a person to have obsessive or compulsive symptoms. About one-third of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder also suffer from a disorder that includes sudden, brief, intermittent movements or sounds. Also, OCD
obsessions …show more content…

However, these compulsions only offer a temporary relief from anxiety. Some examples of compulsions are:
Washing and cleaning, orderliness, following a strict routine, etc. Originally, OCD was thought to be a rare disorder, however, studies have revealed approximately one percent to three percent suffer from the disease worldwide, making it one of the more common and serious mental conditions. Studies conducted in the field of OCD have suggested that there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters may be what is contributing to anxiety disorders. The neurotransmitters targeted in anxiety disorders are GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine. Serotonin appears to be important as it deals with the feeling of well-being, and deficiencies are highly related to anxiety and depression. Control, which is a stress hormone, also plays a role in this. OCD is strongly prevalent to a family history with the disorder. Close relatives of people with OCD are, staggering, nine times more likely to develop the disorder. Researchers have made progress in identifying specific gene factors that could contribute to an inherit risk of the disorder. Genes that regulate specific …show more content…

A majority of the male subjects tested indicated a early onset of symptoms and chronic course of the disorder, greater social impairment, more sexual and aggressive symptoms, and substance use disorder. Female patients displayed symptoms of cleaning/contamination and eating and impure-control disorders. Studies have also shown the an earlier onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder among males, compared to females. An
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approximate amount of one third of adults’ refer symptom onset in their childhood; among children, two thirds of the studies were boys. OCD cases with an early onset is very severe, sharing a similarity to schizophrenia. Gender maybe a relevant fact to determine OCD. Although the reasons why OCD differs from genders is not entirely clear, many researchers have speculated that it results from both psychological influences and biological. Among the biological factors, sex linked genetic features and hormonal differences. In the psychological aspect, social roles that center around gender may affect the content of obsessions and compulsions. Age appears to be a more genetic characteristic that is influenced by a family history of OCD, the occurrence of aggressive and sexual symptoms may influence

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