Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental illness that gives the victim uncontrollable thoughts. The behaviors we associate with OCD are in response to these thoughts, and are not the actual base of the disease. For example, a patient with OCD might think repeatedly that she left the door unlocked or that the door isn’t locked properly. So she locks it – again and again and again. Unfortunately, OCD is a long-term illness that can bring devastating results to every area of your life if left untreated.

Causes of OCD

There is not yet a determination of an exact cause of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. There are clues as to what might contribute to the condition, but despite years of research, no exact cause has been found. A lack of serotonin in the brain seems to contribute to the disease as well as faulty wiring in the brain that misconstrues messages. The body’s response to certain infections in childhood can also trigger a response or make the condition more pronounced as the child ages.

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms

The most overwhelming symptom of OCD is anxiety. Those suffering from the disease are always plagued by anxious feelings of impending doom or disaster if they fail to meet exacting criteria. For example, a patient might feel a sense of dread if she doesn’t check to be sure each window is shut and locked securely before she leaves the house. In a mild case of OCD, the patient can make a quick lap of the house, have her anxiety relieved and be able to leave.

In a more serious case of OCD, the patient will test each window thoroughly and by the time she’s tested each window, she once again feels anxious that she might have missed something so she must check them again to be sure. In the most severe cases, the patient might never be able to leave the house due to her overwhelming anxiety about the windows, the stove, the doors, germs or any number of other things.

Understanding OCD

Symptoms of OCD are broken down into two predictable categories: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are the constant and nagging thoughts that plague victims. Compulsions are the behaviors patients use to try and control the obsessions.

Examples of obsessions include a variety of unwelcome thoughts and nagging feelings. A patient might worry constantly over her welfare and that of her family. She might also have an overwhelming need to do things perfectly all of the time. One of the most common thoughts is a fear of getting dirty or being exposed to germs.

The compulsions are the activities driven by these thoughts and fears. Some patients understand that the thoughts and behaviors aren’t real, but others are less sure or believe in them strongly. The more intensely patients experience the thoughts and feelings the more intense the reactions will be.

For example, if an individual feels dirty, she might change clothes many times per day and wash her hands with a precise and methodical pattern of water and soap. Then she might repeat the pattern multiple times each washing and start a new washing every thirty minutes or less. Other compulsions include counting, moving things to make them precise, hoarding items and praying.