Alyssa Basham
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized with unreasonable thoughts and obsessions. These thoughts and fears lead you to have the repetitive behaviors. Many people try to stop their obsessive behaviors but they cannot ignore them. Ignoring them causes them to become more distressed and then increases anxiety.
Primary Causes
OCD may result from changes in the body chemistry or brain functions. It can also be linked to a gene but it has yet to be discovered. People can develop OCD from the environment. OCD can be a learned behavior from the habits you develop. Serotonin is one of the brains chemical messengers that contributes to obsessive- compulsive disorder. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder who take medications that improve the action of serotonin often have fewer OCD symptoms.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms that people have when they have OCD are having obsessions of having things clean and orderly. They also have aggressive or horrific impulses or sexual thoughts. The person has fears of shaking people’s hands or having physical contact with anyone and they think they will be contaminated by that person. Someone may have thoughts of hurting someone in a car accident and have to constantly go back and check to see if someone was hurt. They will suffer from stress if objects are not orderly or all facing the same way. Their hands will become dry and they will get skin lesions from picking at their hands.
Treatment Options
To seek help you should determine wither or not you have OCD or you are just a perfectionist. If you are to the point where your obsessions are disabling you to go through your day you may have OCD and should see a doctor. There are two main treatments to help someone with obsessive- compulsive disorder; medication and psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves retraining your thoughts and routines so that compulsive behaviors are no longer needed. This therapy involves gradually exposing you to a feared object or obsession, like dirt, this also helps with anxiety. Some of the antidepressants that are used are Clomipramine (Anafranil), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), and Sertraline (Zoloft). They increase serotonin that people with OCD lack but taking medicines has its side effects.
Article Summary
The article from Owen Kelly is a great article for someone who
has OCD. In her article “Living With OCD” he helps OCD sufferers cope with living with OCD. He
explains that you should become an expert on OCD to know how to deal with it.
Reducing you stress can help with coping as well. When you reduce stress you
can reduce the triggers of your OCD. This article helps people with the
feelings they have with OCD and how to deal with stress from the work place. He
also helps with stigma that people have on people with OCD. The article has
other links to help with OCD in the work place and OCD in relationships. People
may experience doubt from not being able to be diagnosed with a blood test but
they need to come to terms with the disorder. This article is the best for
someone who is suffering from OCD.
has OCD. In her article “Living With OCD” he helps OCD sufferers cope with living with OCD. He
explains that you should become an expert on OCD to know how to deal with it.
Reducing you stress can help with coping as well. When you reduce stress you
can reduce the triggers of your OCD. This article helps people with the
feelings they have with OCD and how to deal with stress from the work place. He
also helps with stigma that people have on people with OCD. The article has
other links to help with OCD in the work place and OCD in relationships. People
may experience doubt from not being able to be diagnosed with a blood test but
they need to come to terms with the disorder. This article is the best for
someone who is suffering from OCD.