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| . | OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD - involving persistent, uncontrollable, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and actions we are driven, compelled to do, seemingly against our own will (compulsions) can feel too powerful to deal with, and yet, once we know what is happening and why, it is possible to stop the anxiety ...stop the OCD thoughts ...and stop the compulsive behaviour. General Information:- ocd definition ocd diagnosis ocd symptoms ocd prevalence ocd and other anxiety disorders ocd causes ocd treatment ocd medications ocd psychology based therapy And if you would like to know just what is happening to us with anxiety disorders and why and how to cure them:- ocd cure ocd help ***** ocd definition What is OCD? Ocd is a way of thinking and behaving that is ruled by anxiety. Characterised by obsessions and/or compulsions, it is classified as an anxiety disorder. There are 5 groups of anxiety disorders, they are:- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome PTSD and Phobias. ocd diagnosis We can be diagnosed with OCD if we have either obsessions or compulsions or obsessions and compulsions, where, according to The Quick Reference to the diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-(2000):- Obsessions are defined as:-
Compulsions are defined as:-
In addition to these criteria, at some point during the course of the disorder, the sufferer must realize that his/her obsessions or compulsions are unreasonably excessive. Moreover, the obsessions or compulsions must be time-consuming (taking up more than one hour per day), cause distress or cause impairment in social, occupational or school functioning. ocd symptoms Symptoms can include obsessions (seemingly alone), compulsions (seemingly alone), obsessions and (seemingly unrelated) compulsions or obsessions with related compulsions. The typical OCD sufferer experiences obsessions that cause high anxiety and performs compulsions to relieve this anxiety. Here, the obsessions and compulsions are related, for example, someone who has recurring thoughts that they are dirty, or will contract a disease or illness from germs, or that they may contaminate others will often perform compulsions related to cleanliness and cleaning to try and eliminate the perceived threat. Obsessions may involve mental compulsions (rather than physical) eg. obsessive preoccupation that some disaster / calamity may happen may result in mental rituals (reciting, listings, saying things over and over). Here we are trying to gain some control over what is essentially uncontrollable yet potentially very frightening. Obsessions can be related to virtually anything. Some common ones include, fear of contamination, fear of harming others (particularly childeren or relatives), fear that something catastrophic may happen (if we don't do something to prevent it), symmetry - that things must be symmetrical (eg. what we touch with one hand, we must also touch with the other), obsessions with numbers or groups of numbers (related to order). Compulsions, too, can be limitless. Those related to obsessions can include, repeated hand-washing, repeated cleaning, repeated coughing, performing rituals, listing, ordering (incl. perfectly aligning objects), counting systems, repeated checking (particularly that electrical appliances are switched off and doors locked). Compulsive behaviour seemingly unrelated to some underlying obsession can really include any behaviour taken to excess, but most common ones include, shopping, spending, sex, gambling, smoking, eating, drinking, hoarding and hair-pulling (Trichotillomania). Obsessive compulsive behaviour can be limitless, yet it all happens for the same underlying reason. ocd prevalence OCD is generally thought to affect 1%-3% of the population. The actual numbers may be higher if we take into account the many people who keep the problem secret and try and deal with it themselves, because of the perceived stigma attached to it. Usual age of onset of noticeably problematic symptoms is between 20-30 years old, with 75% of patients seeking treatment before 30. It is more prevalent in women than men with a prevalence of 3% for women compared to 2% for men. Manys sufferers appear to be of greater than average intelligence which may be associated to the 'thinking too much' element in the disorder. ocd and other anxiety disorders OCD may be diagnosed by the most prevalent set of symptoms (the obsessions, compulsions etc.) However, it is very common for many people to experience symptoms associated with a number of anxiety disorders. Many with OCD will experience elements of social anxiety disorders and be panicky in some social situations. Indeed, obsessive compulsive fears (eg.of germs) are in a sense phobias of the object, involoving panic at the thought of it. Is the process of obsessional thinking in OCD (although the types of thoughts may differ) really any different from that in Generalized Anxiety Disorder, involving, as it does, the inability to avoid or stop debilitating thoughts? And depression, not classed as an anxiety disorder, but involving anxiety, is almost always present in those with long-term OCD. How could it not be? How could we not despair at something that causes us to think and act in such a way; something we don't understand and feel helpless to control? ocd causes Many people firmly believe (and believe that evidence supports it) that OCD is caused by abnormalities in the brain. They point to brain scans showing difference in certain areas of the brains of those with OCD against those who don't. This may be the case, but it doesn't mean that this is the cause of the OCD. In fact, given everything we now know about these problems it is more likely (and makes much more sense) that the areas of brain are changed because of the OCD. Similarly, brain difference can be found across many anxiety disorders - for the same reason. As we think and act and behave, we shape our brains accordingly - this is part of the answer to these problems. Interestingly, many of the solutions that supporters of biological theories of OCD recommend to deal with OCD then go on to follow the same path as psychological-based theories. OCD, as with all anxiety disorders (and depression), is psychological. Evolving from experiences, learning, conditioning, fears, drives, and innate survival mechanisms, most likely based on predispositions through genetic heritage. Predispositions that could only develop through experience. ocd treatment Successful treatment means changing how we see these problems and how we feel and act towards them. Conventional treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder usually involves medication and/or psychological therapy. Long-term medication does not work (understandably - since these problems are psychological). However, drugs can be useful when used short-term to alleviate distressing symptoms (usually anxiety and depression) to enable cognitive changes through psychological-based therapy to develop. ocd medications Seratonin, a chemical produced in the brain, is thought to be related to mood and low/negative mood states associated with a depletion of this chemical through over usage or reduced production. Consequently, a number of drugs known as Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's) may be used to attempt to block Seratonin uptake (hence depletion) within the brain, leaving more available to create a 'better mood'. These include Paroxetine (Paxil), Setraline (Zoloft) and Fluoxetine (Prozac). Other anti-depressants such as Clomipramine (Anafranil) or Venlafaxine (Efexor) may be used to reduce the depression element common in most obsessive compulsive behaviour problems. Anxiolitics (anti-anxiety drugs) include tranquilizers such as Diazepam (Vallium), Alpraxolam (Xanax) and Lorazipam (Ativan). Many of these drugs have bad side-effects and millions can testify to the lack of success in treating OCD by drugs alone. ocd psychology based therapy Psychological therapies attempt to understand and change the thought and behaviour processes and as such can be inherently more successful. One such method is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy CBT. OCD is only one of many anxiety disorders which can be successfully treated using this therapy. With OCD, CBT often employs gradual exposure which involves learning to face the anxiety without resorting to carrying out rituals in situations of varying degrees of anxiety. Relaxation methods and meditation along with various coping skills may also be taught to help manage the anxiety rather than resort to compulsive behaviour. ocd cure To cure OCD we have to know what is happening and why. Only with this knowledge can we begin to take control. Knowledge is power, without it, the unknown will always overpower us. We may be on the right track, but if the symptoms persist we then start to worry that what we are doing is not the answer, that the problem is too great, that we'll never find the answer ...and so the endless search continues. To cure obsessive compulsive disorder requires:- insight, understanding, acceptance and practice. OCD HELP It is possible to overcome OCD. Many, many people have done so. If you would like help to understand just what is happening to us with anxiety disorders, how they develop and grow, how we, ourselves, make them stronger and how we can weaken and stop them, become free of them - click here |
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