Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Is it a put on or simply misunderstood?

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3. What is OCD? • OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. • The American Psychiatric Association defines OCD as recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to be time-consuming or to cause distress or significant impairment. • Obsessions are recurrent, unwanted thoughts and ideas that invade a person’s consciousness. • Compulsions are defined as repetitive and uncontrollable impulses resulting from obsessions. • OCD is often unidentified, rarely properly diagnosed, and is widely misunderstood in today’s society.

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

5. Common Compulsive Behaviors • Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches • Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure that 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 containers

6. Symptoms • Other major symptoms of OCD include the • uncontrollable urge to clean things, to check, to count, • to repeat motions and to doubt. • These rituals become part of the daily routine of a • person with OCD. • These rituals seem to relieve anxiety to a • certain point. • However these rituals can keep some • adolescents from engaging in usual activities • like dating or driving. • A little more than 1/3 of all OCD sufferers suffer • from checking. • Besides suffering from repetitive behavior and uncontrollable behavior, one can also suffer from: • Changes in appetite or weight • Sleep disturbance • Decreased energy • Feelings of worthlessness • Difficulty concentrating • Restlessness • Hand-wringing • Rubbing or pulling of hair

7. Course of OCD • The course of OCD is a gradual process and usually develops in early adulthood. • About 2/3 of those who have OCD developed symptoms by age 25 although some have developed as early as 8. • It also usually appears sooner in boys than in girls. • When stress becomes too much, their symptoms can worsen and can be alleviated as stress is released. • This is known as a flare-up or remission which means at times symptoms can be more in control than others. • This disease can affect as many as 2.4 million Americans.

8. Categories of OCD • Washers -People afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions • Checkers -People who repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that they associate with harm or danger • Doubters and Sinners -People who are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will happen or they will be punished.

9. Categories of OCD- cont’d • Counters and Arrangers- People who are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements. • Hoarders- People who fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don’t need or use.

10. Causes of OCD • Genetics • Environmental factors • Abnormal brain activity • Strep throat • Other medical conditions or mental disorders

11. Treatment of OCD • When the disorder interrupts a persons life, medication or therapy may be needed. • One of the most effective treatments is behavior therapy. • Behavior therapy involves exposing the person to stressful situations that cause anxiety to provoke the compulsive behaviors and then preventing the person from performing the rituals. • Treatments will vary for people with different rituals, and the people with different rituals will respond differently to treatment. • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors first started the medical treatment of OCD. • Clomipramine has been shown to be 20% effective in curing of all OCD cases. • Anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and tranquilizers are available if symptoms are extreme.