The Theoretical Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Research Paper Example

?Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD for short is an anxiety disorder beset by unreasonable fears and thoughts. Said fears and thoughts are generally termed as obsessions that cause an affected individual to manifest or show actions that are repetitive. These repetitive behaviors or recurring impulsive tendencies are called compulsions, which without cause come as a natural reflex to the afflicted individual. Most obsessive thoughts are centered on things or subjects that a person is not at ease with. An example is an individual who thinks that her house is full of dirt and dust that will trigger her allergies despite the true fact that the house in question is spotless. Worried that she might have an allergic attack, she cleans the house every couple of hours, never seemed to be satisfied that she did it right two hours ago. This action continues throughout the day, leaving little or no room for her other activities that are equally essential (Mayo Clinic Staff). Typically, obsessive compulsive disorder makes a person go through repeated actions that mainly originates from having distressing thoughts. These thoughts make the individual do or perform a certain action that is done over and over again in order to pacify the stress and anxiety that he or she is feeling (NIH: National Institute of Mental Health). The obsessions which come about constantly are often unreasonable, quite disturbing and in fact have no actual basis. The individual who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder eventually realizes that the obsessive feeling and thoughts he or she is currently having distorts reality; and they feel incapable to control them because they go through the same motions again and again (Mental Health America). Trying to stop or ignore the obsessions only heightens the feelings of apprehension and distress; while doing rituals or compulsions give short-term relief from the stress and discomfort brought about by having obsessions. Unfortunately, having obsessive compulsive disorder upsets a person’s daily living schedules and activities because the obsessions and subsequent compulsions makes it hard to concentrate in doing the normal activities which the person was accustomed to. The rituals or repetitive actions takes hours to do, sometimes the whole day making it quite impossible for the individual with obsessive compulsive disorder little time to do something more productive. If obsessive compulsive disorder is not properly addressed overtime, it can have a negative impact on all the aspects of a person’s life (The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)). The theoretical causes of obsessive compulsive disorder are biology, environment and inadequate seratonin. These causes are considered to be hypothetical since the true or actual cause of obsessive compulsive disorder is not fully known (Mayo Clinic Staff). Biology pertains to the study of plants and animals, which includes the normal chemistry and role of the brain in relation to the other parts of the body. It is contemplated by researchers that obsessive compulsive disorder is an end result of an irregular change in the normal working condition of the brain circuits, which may be due to an inadequate level of serotonin, a chemical messenger within the brain (Mayo Clinic Staff). The insufficient amount of such brain chemical affects the normal communication of brain parts that ultimately gives rise to the occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder (Mental Health America). The environment is also said to contribute in the occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder because of some behavior-related habits, which were acquired during the growing and developmental phase of a particular individual (Mayo Clinic Staff). The habits are generally inculcated from childhood to early teens where various factors that stem out of one’s surroundings are easily assimilated and are considered normal even if they are not within the norm or are socially unacceptable. Obsessive compulsive disorder may also be acquired genetically or in simple terms – is hereditary but a study of the genes in relation to this particular disease is not conclusive. Currently, considerable facts show that obsessive compulsive disorder is biologically related. The domestic or family problems together with the attitudes developed or acquired from childhood are no longer thought to be the reasons for having obsessive compulsive disorder. It is now being analyzed that environmental influences and its relations with biological aspects are the origins and root causes of having obsessive compulsive disorder (Mental Health America). Treating obsessive compulsive disorder is delicate and quite complicated because the treatments that are presently available are not conclusive cures for this type of mental disorder. Additionally, it is chronic and is very prone to relapse. And since obsessive compulsive disorder is a chronic type of mental ailment, treatment may be a lifetime necessity (Mayo Clinic Staff). In other situations, obsessive compulsive behavior comes with other types of illness like drug abuse, ADHD or activity deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, etc. Such cases are often more difficult to analyze and treat because it will take time to establish and separate the facts of each illness from the other. The accompanying disorders must be properly identified and treated correctly in order to treat obsessive compulsive disorder successfully. It usually takes years, and this includes seeing more than one doctor for the duration of the whole treatment (Mental Health America). The two main treatments being used by psychiatrists for obsessive compulsive disorder are psychotherapy and medications, which at best can bring the affected individual to a level where he or she can control the compulsions (repeated behavior/actions) brought about by his or her obsessions (unreasonable thoughts/fears) (Mayo Clinic Staff). For an effective treatment outcome, psychotherapy in the form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication (antidepressants) is frequently administered. CBT is a type of treatment which is aimed at reforming thoughts and beliefs that are maladaptive. Here therapists encouraged patients to perceive such feelings or thoughts to be theoretical and not actual facts, even if the patient believes them with great certainty. To convince a patient that his or her thoughts or feelings have no factual basis, experiments are done to test out the said thoughts and feelings to prove that they are not true. CBT is often used for the depression that goes with having obsessive compulsive disorder because it is excellent in preventing relapse in patients who are suffering from this type of disorder. It motivates patients to schedule therapeutic activities to gain more pleasure in the experience and it also teaches them how to reform their negative patterns of thinking in order to view their surroundings in a more neutral and realistic manner (Warman et al). Moreover, the exposure and response prevention (E/RP), a behavioral approach technique of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works by slowly exposing the individual with obsessive compulsive disorder to identify their obsessions and later on learn how to control or manage their compulsions (Mayo Clinic Staff). Once the patient has adjusted to recognizing his or her obsession, he or she is taught techniques or ways on how to adjust their thoughts and have rational reactions to it (Warman et al). Drugs or medications prescribed for obsessive compulsive disorder initially come in the form of antidepressants. Antidepressants have shown to enhance or increase the level of seratonin (a lacking brain chemical that causes obsessive compulsive disorder). The Food and Drug Authority has approved the following antidepressants for obsessive compulsive disorder: Clomipramine (Anafranil), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) and Sertraline (Zoloft) (Mayo Clinic Staff). The aforementioned medications prescribed for obsessive compulsive disorder are generally given on a case to case basis; since every patient’s situation is different from the others. The objective of giving such drugs is to be able to efficiently manage the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder through a low dosage. There are some antidepressants which could be availed of from over the counter at drugstores or pharmacies, it is however important to inform the attending doctor about the intake of said medicines to make him or her aware of what medicines will be added, stopped or continued. In most circumstances of obsessive compulsive disorders, doctors normally combine antidepressants with antipsychotic medicines to make the treatment more effective (Mayo Clinic Staff). Prescribed medicines must not be stopped or lessened without the proper advice of the doctor to avoid a relapse that may result to taking medicines indefinitely. Sometimes patients who have taken a couple of dosage do not continue with the medicines because they are feeling better, however it is advisable to follow-through on the doctor’s advices to make the treatment a successful one. Likewise it is important to ask the doctor about the medicine’s side effects and how health monitoring will be carried out while on prescription (Mayo Clinic Staff). In cases where cognitive-behavioral therapy and medications are not enough to curb the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, the following other treatments can be considered: psychiatric hospitalization, residential treatment, electroconvulsive therapy, trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation (Mayo Clinic Staff). Psychiatric hospitalization means that the individuals suffering from severe obsessive compulsive disorder becomes an in-patient at a psychiatric hospital. Although being hospitalized may seem to relieve family members of the burden in caring for a relative with obsessive compulsive disorder, it offers a minimum amount of personal care since the treatment will more or less be based on the use of medication for rehabilitation. The good thing about psychiatric hospitalization is it offers a 24-hour in-patient care that minimizes stressors from the environment and reduces risk of causing injury to oneself. A psychiatrist only recommends hospitalization if the patient’s illness is quite severe and recurrent. However, if the patient can still be treated in a more sociable surrounding like at home or in the psychiatrist’s office hospitalization is a last resort (Healthy Place.com Staff Writer:1). Residential treatment is another form of treatment for people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. This kind of treatment requires individualized program which is developed by a team of professionals composed of medical doctors, therapists, nurses and other health professionals to treat a difficult case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Some of these programs will usually require the patient to be admitted at a psychiatric hospital for a specific length of time for medication and an opportunity to administer cognitive-behavioral therapy (Kelly). Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT is commonly known as electroshock therapy that involves the administration of electrical impulses on a patient who has been sedated. This is generally done by both a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist within a hospital or in an outpatient facility that is equipped with rooms for treatment and recovery. The normal dosage for ECT is three times a week but it can also be done daily if the patient can withstand the procedure (Aetna). The use of electroconvulsive therapy for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder can be done until such time that the patients achieve maximum recovery depending on the severity of the disorder. For patients who showed no or partial improvement but did not manifest any remarkable change after six to ten administration and after two to three treatments respectively, electroconvulsive treatment is discontinued (Aetna). Another type of treatment for mental disorder is the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is considered a non-invasive form of therapy that requires the attachment of a small mechanism on the skull. This apparatus has a coiled wire inside that holds electricity, which flows to the brain that causes the cells or neurons within to become active. The inactivity of brain parts are considered to be related in the occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder hence a continuous stimulation changes the activities inside the brain reducing the occurrence of signs related to the disorder. There are some related side effects in the employment of transcranial magnetic stimulation like headaches and epileptic seizures, and treatment is usually carried out more than once a day for days or weeks based on the set of rules. Some studies show that TMS can help lessen the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, but majority of researches done indicate otherwise. TMS needs more research as well as a standardized basis for treatment application (Kelly). Last but not the least treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder is deep brain stimulation which was approved by the Food and Drugs Authority. This form of treatment necessitates the placement of electrodes inside the brain that can alter its circuit functioning (Chicago Tribune). Current experiments show that this form of treatment can reduce the symptoms of people with obsessive compulsive disorder but have some setbacks because some of the subjects did not respond well to it. Aside from this the procedure is very risky since it involves doing a major surgery (DeNoon). The foregoing treatments have not been fully tested for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and show some negative outcomes during experimentation. It is therefore essential for patients to understand the procedures involved, and to know the health advantages and disadvantages such treatments can bring by discussing them with their respective doctors. Works Cited Aetna. “Electroconvulsive Therapy” n.d. Clinical Policy Bulletin http://www.aetna.com/cpb/ medical/data/400_499/0445.html 25 February 2011. Chicago Tribune. “Deep Brain Stimulation” Chicago Tribune.com 19 February 2009. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2009/02/deep-brain-stimulation-approved-for-obsessivecompulsive-disorder.html 25 February 2011. DeNoon, Daniel. “New OCD Treatment Helpful but Risky: Studies Shows Deep Brain Stimulation Cuts Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” WebMD Health News 12 November 2008. http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20081112/new-ocd-treatment-helpful-but-risky 25 February 2011. Healthy Place.com Staff Writer. “Psychiatric Hospitalization” 03 January 2009. Healthyplace.com http://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/psychiatric-disorder-definitions/psychiatric-hospitalization/menu-id-71/ 25 February 2011. Kelly, Owen. “How to Find an Intensive OCD Program: Hope for Those Who Have Not Responded to Standard Treatment Program” 03 June 2009. About.com Guide http://ocd.about.com/od/treatment/qt/OCD_Intensive.htm 25 February 2011. Kelly, Owen. “Is Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation an Effective OCD Treatment? The Evidence is Limited” 02 November 2010. About.com Guide http://ocd.about.com/od/treatment/a/rTMS.htm 25 February 2011. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.” n.d. http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/DS00189 24 February 2011. Mental Health America. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)” n.d. http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/anxiety-disorders/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd 24 February 2011. NIH: National Institute of Mental Health. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” n.d. URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obsessivecompulsivedisorder.html 24 February 2011. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA). “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)” n.d. http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd 24 February 2011. Warman, Debbie M. and Beck, Aaron T. “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” June 2003. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section =About_Treatments_andSupports&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID =7952 24 February 2011. Read More