Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) :Habit of Doing Things Repeatedly

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive – compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce anxiety, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety, or by a combination of such thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions). If you have OCD, you probably recognize that your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are irrational – but even so, you feel unable to resist them and break free.

Obsessions are involuntary, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again in your mind. You don’t want to have these ideas – in fact, you know that they don’t make any sense. But you can’t stop them. Unfortunately, these obsessive thoughts are usually disturbing and distracting.

Compulsions are behaviors or rituals that you feel driven to act out again and again. Usually, compulsions are performed in an attempt to make obsessions go away. For example, if you’re afraid of contamination, you might develop elaborate cleaning rituals. However, the relief never lasts. In fact, the obsessive thoughts usually come back stronger. And the compulsive behaviors often end up causing anxiety themselves as they become more demanding and time-consuming.

Causes of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder –

While there is no known specific cause for OCD, family history and chemical imbalances in the brain are thought to contribute to the development of the illness. Generally, while people who have relatives with OCD are at a higher risk of developing the disorder, most people with the illness have no such family history. A specific chromosome/gene variation has been found to possibly double the likelihood of a person developing OCD. It is thought that an imbalance of the chemical serotonin in the brain may also contribute to the development of OCD.

Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder –

Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have both obsessions and compulsions, but some people experience just one or the other. The symptoms of OCD may wax and wane over time. Often, the symptoms get worse in times of stress.

Obsessive thoughts in OCD –

• Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others
• Fear of causing harm to yourself or others
• Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images
• Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
• Fear of losing or not having things you might need
• Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right”.
• Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky

Compulsive behaviors in OCD

• Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches.
• Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe.
• Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety.
• Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning.
• Ordering, evening out, or arranging things “just so.”
• Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear.
• Accumulating “junk” such as old newspapers, magazines, and empty food containers, or other things you don’t have a use for.

Treatment –

Like many other disorders OCD have two ways of treatment, Medical and Psychological.

Treatment by Medicine

Psychiatrists or other physicians can prescribe medications for anxiety disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). These doctors often work closely with psychologists, social workers, or counselors who provide psychotherapy. Although medications won’t cure an anxiety disorder, they can keep the symptoms under control and enable you to lead a normal, fulfilling life.

Treatment by Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or counselor to learn how to deal with problems like anxiety disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Generally victims of OCD are treated with the combination of both the ways of treatment.So if you or some of your near and dear is suffering with this disorder then he can be treated.At last I again want to say do not get confuse with Obsessive personality Compulsive Disorder that is a different thing.I will discuss about that later.

Tags: anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Symptoms, Anxiety Treatment, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 4:23 am and is filed under Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Effects, Anxiety Help, Anxiety Treatment, Uncategorized, anxiety. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.