Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD) is one of the most common, chronic disorders where a person has
uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors
(compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over (Bhandari,
2019). It is a mental illness and some people can have both obsessions and
compulsions. OCD are habits that are obsessive causing repetitive behaviors; although
one may not want to think or do these things, they feel powerless to stop. Not
all rituals or habits are compulsions, everyone double checks things sometimes.
But a person with OCD generally suffers from anxiety and has significant
problems due to their behavior. There are four general types of OCD: A) Checking
and Re-checking, b) Contamination, c) Symmetry and ordering, and d) Ruminations
and intrusive thoughts (OCD, 2020). There are some signs and symptoms to look
out for: Taking up at least an hour a day to perform a particular task, habits
beyond ones control and aren’t enjoyable, habits that interfere with ones work
or life, having a fear of germs or contamination, unwanted forbidden or taboo
thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm, and aggressive thoughts towards
others or self.
Some individuals with OCD may
also have a tic disorder (OCD, 2020). Motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive
movements with symptoms could either get better or worse over time. People with
OCD may try taking drugs or alcohol to help avoid any situation that could cause
a trigger their obsessions. Adults may realize that this is a problem but
children may think it is okay. Working with children to try early recognition
of these habits could help avoid interference with life style. “OCD is a common
disorder that affects adults, adolescents, and children all over the world” (Sharma
& Branscum, 2020). Some people are diagnosed by age 19, with an early onset
in boys than in girls, but it could also happen after the age of 35.The causes
of OCD are unknown, but some risk factors include: depression/anxiety/tics, brain
structure and functioning, traumatic experience, history of physical or sexual
abuse as a child and genetics.
In some cases, children may develop OCD or OCD
symptoms following a streptococcal infection—this is called Pediatric
Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections
(PANDAS) (OCD, 2020). For more information, please read NIMH's fact sheet on PANDAS.
There are treatments and therapies for OCD and it is typically treated with
medication, psychotherapy, relaxation, neuromodulation or a combination of the
two. Although most patients with OCD respond to treatment, some patients
continue to experience symptoms. While treating these patients, we need to
consider all past medical history. Other treatment options include FDA approved
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as an adjunct in the treatment of OCD
in adults. There are treatments on this and other mental health illness. To
find general information in your area, call the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Referral Helpline at
1-800-662-HELP (4357) (Bhandari, 2019). SAMHSA also has a Behavioral Health
Treatment Locator on its website that can be searched by location.
References:
Bhandari, S. (2019, November 24).
OCD: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Related Conditions.
Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
(2019). Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
Sharma, M. W., &
Branscum, P. M. (2020). Foundations of Mental
Health Promotions (pp. 33-34). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett learning.
Hi Afiong,
ReplyDeleteI also talked about OCD in my blogpost and it's such a complex yet interesting disorder to research at. I was also intrigued that children can develop OCD or OCD like symptoms from the PANDAS infection. I also really liked how you put the substance abuse and mental health services administration referral helpline, because I think it's a very good resource for people that may not know of treatment options near them. Even though I already talked about OCD in my post, I found yours very interesting to read and I learned a little bit more than what I already researched.
Hi Aifong,
ReplyDeleteI must say that I enjoyed reading your blog post because it was very informal and I felt like I learned a lot about OCD. I was always curious about this disorder because not a lot of people could give detailed explanations about what the disorder is about or how it affects individuals. I like reading your blog post because I felt that it gave me a lot of information and actually gave me a better insight more than any other individual would have given me. Thanks for the information!
I found there to be a number of parallels between Obsessive Compulsive disorder, and the mental illness I covered which was eating disorders. I. have noticed that often times a common characteristic of most mental illness is the desire to obtain control on an aspect of the individuals life. With eating disorders the means of control is refraining from the consumption of food which gives the individual power over their body. In Obsessive Compulsive disorder the means of control seems to be over environmental factors such as repeating tasks for a certain number of times or even keeping track of certain times that a task is done. The Anxiety and Depression center of America has some effective methods of treatment available for those that suffer. from this illness. .https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/personal-stories/fighting-monster-ocd
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the ways in which these two mental illness correlate!
Hi, I enjoyed reading your blog. I found it very informing and learned a lot about Obsessive Compulsive disorder. The mental illness I covered was about depression. I like how you stated "both obsessions and compulsions. OCD are habits that are obsessive causing repetitive behaviors; although one may not want to think or do these things, they feel powerless to stop". Also how people who have this disorder suffer from anxiety. Which I believe can go hand and hand with depression. I really enjoyed reading your blog and learning about this mental health issue.
ReplyDelete