Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) BY: Kelly Campos English III Mr. Ochoa 4th period

2. What is OCD? • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform. 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. • Like a needle getting stuck on an old record, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. For example, you may check the stove twenty times to make sure it’s really turned off, wash your hands until they’re scrubbed raw, or drive around for hours to make sure that the bump you heard while driving wasn’t a person you ran over.

3. What causes obsessive-compulsive disorder? • Despite abundant research being carried out into obsessive-compulsive disorder, the exact cause has not been identified. Abnormalities, or an imbalance in the neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, serotonin, could be to blame. • It is thought that in certain individuals OCD is triggered by a combination of genetic, neurological, behavioral, cognitive and environmental factors.

4. Different types of OCD • Washers are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions. • Checkers repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that they associate with harm or danger. • Doubters and sinners are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will happen or they will be punished. • Counters and arrangers are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements. • Hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don’t need or use.

5. OCD signs and symptoms: Obsessive thoughts Common obsessive thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include: • 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.

6. OCD signs and symptoms: Compulsive behaviors Common compulsive behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include: • 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 or arranging things “just so.” • Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear. • Accumulating “junk” such as old newspapers or empty food containers.

7. What is Life Like for Children and Teens Who Have OCD? At least 1 in 200 children and teens in the United States have OCD. Understanding the special impact that the disorder has on their lives is important in helping them get the right treatment. Some common issues with OCD in children and teens follow: Disrupted Routines: OCD can make daily life very difficult and stressful for kids and teens. In the morning, they feel they must do their rituals right, or the rest of the day will not go well. In the evenings, they must finish all of their compulsive rituals before they go to bed. Some kids and teens even stay up late because of their OCD, and are often exhausted the following day.

8. Common issues Problems at School: OCD can affect homework, attention in class, and school attendance. If this happens, you need to be an advocate for your child. It is your right under the Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ask for changes from the school that will help your child succeed.Physical Complaints: Stress, poor nutrition, and/or the loss of sleep can make children physically ill.Social Relationships: The stress of hiding their rituals from peers, times spent with obsessions and compulsions, and how their friends react to their OCD-related behaviors can all affect friendships.Problems with Self-Esteem: Kids and teens worry that they are "crazy" because their thinking is different than their friends and family. Their self-esteem can be negatively affected because the OCD has led to embarrassment or has made them feel "bizarre" or "out of control."

9. Common Issues Anger Management Problems: This is because the parents have become unwilling (or are unable!) to comply with the child's OCD-related demands. Even when parents set reasonable limits, kids and teens with OCD can become anxious and angry.Additional Mental Health Problems: Kids and teens with OCD are more likely to have additional mental health problems than those who do not have the disorder. Sometimes these other disorders can be treated with the same medicine prescribed to treat the OCD. Depression, anxiety disorders and trichotillomania (compulsive hairor skin picking) may improve when a child takes anti-OCD medicine. On the other hand, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), tic disorders, and disruptive behavior disorders usually require additional treatments, including medicines that are not specific to OCD.

10. Why is CBT a Recommended Treatment for OCD in Children and Teens? • While the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder usually occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, younger children sometimes have symptoms that look like OCD. However, the symptoms of other disorders, such as ADD, autism, and Tourette’s syndrome, can also look like obsessive-compulsive disorder, so a thorough medical and psychological exam is essential before any diagnosis is made. • The most effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is often cognitive-behavioral therapy. Antidepressants are sometimes used in conjunction with therapy, although medication alone is rarely effective in relieving the symptoms of OCD. • Experts agree that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for kids with OCD. Working with a trained CBT therapist, children and adolescents with OCD learn that they are in charge, not OCD.

11. What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)? • Using a CBT strategy called exposure and response prevention (ERP), youngsters can learn to do the opposite of what OCD tells them to do, by facing their fears gradually in small steps (exposure), without giving in to the rituals (response prevention). ERP helps them find out that their fears don't come true and that they can get used to the scary feeling, just like they might get used to cold water in the swimming pool. Example:Imagine a teenager who repeatedly touches things in his room to prevent bad luck. Using ERP, the teenager would learn to leave his room without touching anything. He might feel very scared at first, but after some time, the anxiety goes away as he gets used to it. He also finds out that nothing bad happens.

12. When Should Medicine Be Considered for Children and Teens with OCD? • Medicines should only be considered when there are moderate to severe OCD symptoms.  Both cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and medicine effectively treat OCD in children and teens.  Their use is supported by the treatment guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).   • Antidepressants are usually the first kind of medicine that a doctor will try.  Your doctor might refer to these medicines as SSRI's, which stands for "Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors", or TCA's, which stands for "Tricyclics."