Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsession- When a person is in a state where he/she only thinks about one person or thing without thinking about anything else.

Compulsive- When a person unnecessarily performing an action persistently and constantly without leading to any actual outcome, reward, or any pleasure.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

OCD is a type of mental disorder where a person who is in a state where he/she constantly and repetitively thinking about a particular thing or about a person all the time without having any real meaning and pleasure to it.

OCD instills a pattern of unwanted fear and thought in a person that they cannot concentrate on their daily activity and causes a sign of distress among them.

Types Of OCD

1. Contamination- This type of OCD occurs when a person feels terrified that they might be contaminated by germs or get sick. For example, a person who feels contaminated with germ may wash their hand repeatedly.
2. Rumination- Rumination is also known as rumination syndrome. It is a rare and chronic condition. It affects infant children and adults. This syndrome occurs when a person spits up food from stomach re-chew it and either swallow it again or spit it out.
3. Intrusive Thought- This occurs when a particular thought stuck in a person's mind. They can cause distress as the nature of thought is distressing. For example, thinking about hurting yourself or someone else.
4. Checking- This occurs when a person feels intrusive thought fear and concern which cause doubt and uncertainty among them. For example, light or appliance was left on, doors were not closed, email or text message is written with an error.

Causes Of OCD

1. Genetic or heredity factor
2. Chemical, structure, and functional abnormalities in brain.
3. Distorted beliefs reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.

Risk Factors

1. Genetics- About 50% of your risk for having OCD is determined by your genes. As such having a family member associated with OCD is a risk factor.
2. Brain Structure- Sometimes connection of your brain is not clear enough therefore there seems a chance of OCD symptoms and certain irregularities in the brain.
3. Age-Old age seems to be the time where the risk for developing OCD is high.
4. Life Event- Stressful life events that occur early in life can be a risk factor in developing OCD. for example, having physically abused in past can be a risk factor of occurring OCD.

Treatment of OCD

1. Exposure Therapy- In its therapy people who have OCD placed in a situation were they gradually exposed to their obsession and ask not to perform the compulsion that usually eases their anxiety and distress.
2. Imaginal Exposure- It is the same as visualization and can help to alleviate enough anxiety to move to exposure therapy. It can help a person directly confront a feared memory. Imaginal Exposure can also be used when it is not possible or safe for a person to directly confront a feared situation.
4. H
abit reversal therapy- Under this therapy, the therapist brings greater attention to tics, and other behavior so that the affected person can gain better self-control.
5. H
RT works on behavior such as tics, air pulling, nail-biting, and skin picking and is appropriate for people at any age.
6. Cognitive therapy- Cognitive therapy focuses on the meaning we attach to certain experiences we interpret. Cognitive therapy helps us stand back from these thoughts, look at the evidence closely, and tell yourself something more realistic or accurate.