What's OCD?
The thought of being contaminated by germs
OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder to be diagnosed, but I still get the feeling I don’t quite know what it is. So while I’m enlightening you on this subject, I’ll be learning something new myself.
What is it?
OCD is an abbreviation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This means that the person who has OCD would become obsessed over a thought or an idea that would lead them to try and solve the thought or idea. To solve their obsession, they would become compulsive.
Ex; a person would come obsessed with germs (or the thought of being contaminated by germs) and would there for repeatedly wash their hands compulsively until they feel that their hands are clean. In this case, after their hands are thoroughly washed, they would come back in a little while and repeat what they had just finished.
OCD is an anxiety-disorder, which means it can stay with a person throughout their life. It can be really small or extremely severe depending on the person. But if the extremely severe case of OCD is left untreated, it can really affect a person at work, school, or even home.
Causes of OCD
There hasn’t been a proven cause for OCD. It does have a possibility of being genetic if it is found in children of parents with OCD. Even so, research has shown us that it may be a lack of communication from the front part of the brain, to the deep parts in the brain.
Symptoms
People who have OCD usually have both obsessions and compulsiveness, but some have one or the other. OCD is commonly found in the late teens for males and early twenties for females, but can really be seen at any time from pre-school up.
Here is a list of the symptoms:
OCD obsessions (unwanted thoughts and ideas)
- Fear of contamination
- Having things orderly and symmetrical
- Aggressive or horrific impulses
- Sexual images and thoughts
Take note that the people who have OCD don’t mean to have these thoughts or ideas. They may become afraid of hurting themselves, their loved ones, and anyone around them. Normally, they are aware that their thoughts and ideas are unrealistic.
These obsessions may also include these related OCD symptoms:
- Fear of being contaminated by shaking hands or by touching objects others have touched
- Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
- Thoughts that you've hurt someone in a traffic accident
- Intense distress when objects aren't orderly or facing the right way
- Images of hurting your child
- Impulses to shout obscenities in inappropriate situations
- Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
- Replaying pornographic images in your mind
- Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
- Skin lesions because of picking at your skin
- Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
OCD Compulsions (reaction to obsession)
- Washing and cleaning
- Counting
- Checking
- Demanding reassurances
- Performing same action repeatedly
- Orderliness
- Repeating phrases
- List making
- Hoarding
- Endless re-arranging of objects in order to keep them aligned with each other
- Performing rituals
These compulsions are due to the obsession. The person may do whatever they are doing a specific way several times to ensure that they did it right.
Diagnostics and Treatment
People who think they have OCD should go to the doctor and get a screening to make sure they do or do not have it. Doctors would probably do physical exams, order laboratory tests (such as CBC or Complete Blood Count), and do a psychology exam.
There isn’t a specific treatment for OCD, but there are ways to help calm the symptoms down.
The first way would be through medicines that help the nervous system. These medicines do help reduce the severity of the disease, but will have to be taken indefinitely to keep the disorder under control.
The second way is through behavioral therapy. Most people who go through treatment his way have been successful in controlling their disorder. The therapist must be fully trained in this type of therapy.
The third way is psychosurgery. THIS IS LAST RESORT ONLY. People are only allowed to use this option if medication at full dosage and several months of behavioral therapy did not work. Only 30% of the people who received this option benefited. Psychosurgery is a surgery in the brain that could destroy brain tissue. Hospitals must have special qualifications to perform this operation.
OCD is not to be confused with OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), body dysmorphic disorder (imagined ugliness), or habit disorders.
To learn more about OCD:
www.athealth.com,
www.mayoclinic.com,
www.ocfoundation.org
