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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of mental disorder which is associated with continous obsessions and compulsions in a person. Obsessions are defined as the unwanted thoughts and emotions that hits a person’s mind continously.
- On the other hand, compulsions are the abnormal mental behaviours or reactions to obsessions.
- This condition hinders the daily activities of an individual and causes a lot of anxiety.
- OCD can range from mild to severe, a person may behave abnormally if not treated at the earliest.
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder where a person experiences unreasonable thoughts which could lead to compulsive abnormal behavior. It is normally characterized by excessive compulsion for perfectionism, orderliness, cleanliness, etc.
- Obsessions are unwanted thoughts and urges which are beyond one’s control that give rise to depression and anxiety.
- Compulsions are repetitive activities that a person suffering from obsession does to get rid of their uncontrollable thoughts.
- It is a chronic condition but the OCD symptoms can come and go with time.
OCD Cycle
Signs and Symptoms of OCD
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The signs and symptoms of OCD include obsessions and compulsions. These symptoms disturb the daily activities because of the repetitive behavior which a patient does to get rid of the compulsive thoughts.
- The signs and symptoms may last for 50-60 minutes each day, interfering with the daily life routine.
- Women are more prone to illness than men.
Obsessive Disorder Symptoms
Obsessive Disorder Symptoms includes intrusive thoughts that cause extreme anxiety. Some examples are:
- Fear of coming in contact with dirt.
- Fear of committing a mistake.
- Sense of self-doubt.
- Urge to arrange things in a order or a particular symmetry.
- Constant need for reassurance.
Compulsive Disorder Symptoms
Compulsive Disorder Symptoms include the urge of performing tasks repeatedly inorder to overcome their obsessions. Some examples are:
- Washing hands and cleaning clothes frequently.
- Constantly re-checking things like locks, gas stoves, switches, etc.
- Counting the number of steps every time the person climbs up the stairs.
- Arranging or selecting things in a symmetry. For example: choosing the same size of eggs to make omelettes with.
Causes of OCD
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The exact causes of OCD are not known but there are some factors that trigger obsessive compulsive behavior.
- Depression or anxiety.
- Childhood abuse and sexual assault.
- Experiences of trauma.
- Disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, and epilepsy.
- Perinatal OCD (caused by pregnancy or going through a difficult childbirth).
- PANDAS syndrome (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric).
- Genetic factors.
Treatment for OCD
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Treatment for OCD includes psychotherapy for mild OCD and transcranial magentic stimulation for severe ones. A few treatment methods are listed below:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT is a psychological treatment most commonly used to manage OCD. There are two forms of CBT: Exposure and Response Preventive (ERP) and Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Exposure and Response Preventive
- In this type of therapy, a person is exposed to those things that he or she is afraid of.
- For example, the doctor might ask you to touch dirty objects and not allow you to wash your hands.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- In this therapy, the ACT therapist helps the patient to learn how to accept obsessive thoughts.
- It helps the patient to lead a meaningful life.
Medication
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the class of antidepressants that works very effectively on the serotonin neurotransmitter system.
- The medicines that belong to the class of SSRIs to treat OCD are – citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Cipralex/Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline(Zoloft), fluoxetine(Prozac), fluvoxamine(Luvox).
OCD-Related Disorders
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Some OCD-related disorders are present that have similar kinds of signs and symptoms like undesirable thoughts and actions. Effective treatment can only be possible if we look at the disorders in detail. Such disorders which should be taken under consideration are:
Hoarding Disorder
It is a disorder where the person faces difficulty in getting separated from a thing he/she possesses.
- They have a constant fear of not losing it and hence they keep them safe.
- Sometimes the affected person may feel the compulsion to store excessive amounts of certain stuff.
Excoriation Disorder
This type of disorder is also known as skin-picking disorder.
- In this a person constantly fidgets with the skin that eventually leads to skin damage.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
A disorder in which a person constantly thinks about a negligible flaw in their appearance.
- They constantly groom themselves to correct their appearance.
- This affects the daily routine of ones life.
Trichotillomania Disorder
Trichotillomania Disorder is a mental condition where a person has the urge to constantly pull hair from the eyes, scap, or body
Things to Remember
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is the uncontrollable repetitive actions causing extreme distress
- This disorder eventually grows from mild to severe if not treated early.
- OCD deals with a set of rituals that involves illogical, unwanted, and depressing thoughts, ideas, images, and obsessions.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the best methods to cure OCD.
- This mental condition can even result in suicidal thoughts.
Sample Questions
Ques. What are the risk factors of obsessive-compulsive disorder? (2 marks)
Ans. OCD is a common mental disorder that can affect children as well as adults. The cause of OCD is yet to be known but there are some of the risk factors that can trigger the disorder. The risk factors are environmental effects, the abnormal functioning of the brain, genetic disorders, and brain structure.
Ques. At what age does OCD usually set in? (2 marks)
Ans. There is no definite age for OCD to happen. Although more females suffer from OCD than males, it usually affects males more early in their life than females. OCD sets in males at the age between 6-15 years whereas in females it's between 20-29 years.
Ques. Do infections cause OCD? (2 marks)
Ans. Several streptococcal infections have been shown to result in OCD among children. The cause of OCD is yet unknown but it is said that infection triggers obsessive-compulsive behavior among children who already have the tendency of OCD genetically.
Ques. Is it mandatory that people who have an obsession, deal with compulsion too? (2 marks)
Ans. Not necessarily. Although obsession and compulsion come together, about 20% of people have reported having an obsession and 10% have only compulsion.
Ques. How does the mechanism of serotonin help with OCD? (2 marks)
Ans. Serotonin is the chemical that is crucial for brain functioning. People with OCD have unusual brain functioning involving serotonin. The medication to get rid of OCD symptoms changes the serotonin level in the body. However, it is unproven whether serotonin is an important factor in triggering OCD symptoms.
Ques. What are the differences between obsessions and compulsions? (4 marks)
Ans. Sometimes anxiety and tension are associated with obsessions—persistent unwanted thoughts, impulses or ideas or compulsions—seemingly irrational behaviours repeatedly carried out in a fixed, repetitive way.
- People with obsessive-compulsive disorders find their obsessions or compulsions distressing and debilitating but feel unable.to stop them,
- Compulsive actions are usually carried on to alleviate the anxiety caused by obsessions.
A person provoked with anxious thoughts may try to block them out by compulsively counting steps while walking. Another person obsessed with the idea that he is guilty or dirty, may wash his hands every few minutes, sometimes till the bleed.
- The symptoms of OCD include a contamination – an obsession of contamination followed by washing or compulsive avoidance of the object. Shame and disgust and the feeling of being easily contaminated are common. Patients usually believe that the contamination is spread from object to object or person to person by the slightest contact.
Ques. What are the symptoms of OCD? (3 marks)
Ans. There are various symptoms of OCD, a few of them are mentioned below:
- Pathological Doubt—Patients have an obsessional self-doubt and are always feeling guilty about having forgotten something. The checking may involve multiple trips back – to the house to check the stove.
- Intrusive Thoughts—repetitive thoughts of a sexual or aggressive act that is reprehensible to the patient. This is usually not followed by compulsions. .
- Symmetry—he needs symmetry and precision, which can lead to a compulsion of slowness. Patients can literally take an hour to shave their faces or eat a meal.
- Other symptom patterns may include religious obsessions and compulsive hoardings as well as trichotillomania (compulsive half pulling) and nail-biting.
Ques. Anxiety has been called the “butterflies in the stomach feeling”. At what stage does anxiety become a disorder? Discuss its types. (2 marks)
Ans. Anxiety is usually defined as a diffused, vague, very unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension without any apparent reason, therefore it has been called ‘butterflies in the stomach’.
- Anxious individual shows combinations of the following symptoms:
- Rapid heart-rate, Shortness of breath, Diarrhoea, Loss of appetite, Fainting, Dizziness, Sweating, Sleeplessness, Frequent urination, Tremors.
Ques. What is Psychodynamic psychological model? (3 marks)
Ans. Psychodynamic psychological model are behaviours determined by unconscious psychological forces—abnormal symptoms, the result of conflicts between these internal, dynamic forces.
- Three central forces shape personality—instinctual needs, drives and impulses (Id), rational thinking (ego) and moral standards (super go).
- Abnormal behaviour—a symbolic expression of unconscious mental conflicts traced to early childhood or infancy.
Ques. What are the symptoms of depression? (4 marks)
Ans. The symptoms and signs of depression includes the following:
- Loss of energy,
- Great fatigue
- Change in body weight
- Constant sleep problems
- Tiredness
- Inability to think clearly
- Agitation
- Thoughts of death and suicide
- Problems in maintaining healthy relationship
- Negative self-concept
- No interest in pleasurable activities
- Other symptoms include excessive quilt or feelings of worthlessness
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