Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Report Example

Intro: We all know someone who is just like this. They obsess over detail, and to the point of interfering with how everyone else works, is insane and crazy over the most finite little detail, or the smallest little thing. Everything must be in place, in order, and the person must go through the motions of their life in the same way to calm their feelings of frustration about how things are going. Maybe the person needs to have every paper on their desk stacked in a pile facing the same way, maybe the person needs to wake up at the same time every morning, but regardless of what part of the person’s life is affected by the disorder, and the effects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be vast and far reaching, the disease is still personified by a person’s innate need to have everything done in a certain, obsessive way. These cases are not always OCD however, and it should be noted that a person can be extremely anal about things but not have the specific disorder. There are certain specific guidelines the person’s obsessions need to fall into to be exactly labeled as OCD. Regardless, the person may still be suffering from great amounts of other anxiety, it is just important to not confuse these to. OCD is a powerful disease, and is one of the most life changing and potentially harmful diseases. It can turn a person’s life around completely, and is a very stressful disease for all those who have to cope with it. Body: Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder, also know as OCD, is a psychiatric disorder, which by a common scientific definition is often categorized “by a subjects obsessive, distressing, intrusive thoughts and related compulsions which attempt to neutralize the obsessions”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). This makes the disease an anxiety disorder, which makes people worry about how things are, and is very stressful by those people who are inflicted with the disease. OCD has also been placed in the top ten most disabling diseases in regards to how much the disease can cause a person to loose income or negatively impact how their life is going by the World Health Organization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). The term “OCD” has started to become almost slang, and has somewhat lost its original meaning in its more common usage now a days. It is often casually used to refer to people who may also be know as anal or anal-retentive, where that person may not actually have the disease OCD. In order to actually be classified as having obsessive compulsive disorder, ones symptoms must fall under specific categories. Just because a person may be a perfectionist or anal does not necessarily mean that they have OCD, they may just be under a lot of other stress of anxiety. It is important to remember that “A person who shows signs of infatuation or fixation with a subject/object, or displays traits such as perfectionism, does not necessarily have OCD, a specific and well-defined condition.”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). In order to be classified as having obsessive compulsive disorder, one must have either certain defined obsessions, clearly drawn convulsions, or a mixture of the two. These guidelines for having OCD are defined differently. The obsessions part is defined by: “recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress, The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems, The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action, The person recognizes that the obsess ional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind, and are not based in reality, The tendency to haggle over small details that the viewer is unable to fix or change in any way. This begins a mental pre-occupation with that which is inevitable.”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). The compulsions that can also be part of the disorder as best defined as “Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly, The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). However defined the symptoms of this disease may be, scientists are still debating over exactly what causes it. Some scientists feel it is strictly a psychological thing, and that the roots of the disorder lie in the person’s own blame for the thoughts they are having. Many scientists have now found this to possibly be the biological cause behind this mental disorder. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). There are also thoughts that it may linked to a specific gene that may carry the trait for OCD, or that is could possibly be due to different brain sizes and structures. The actual symptoms of OCD are wide and vary, to the extent that some people may not even notice they have it, and this never get treatment. Some of the symptoms include “repeated hand washing, specific counting systems, perfectly aligning everything and even the fear or trying to control ones thoughts.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). All of these different things are symptoms of this difficult disorder. However, OCD can be treated. OCD can be treated with several different types of therapy, as well as medications. Some of these therapies involve slowly learning to help control the OCD, and to eventually overcome it in a controlled environment. However, “For some, neither medication, support groups nor psychological treatments are helpful in alleviating obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These patients may choose to undergo psychosurgery as a last resort. In this procedure, a surgical lesion is made in an area of the brain (the cingulate bundle). In one study, 30% of participants benefited significantly from this procedure. Deep brain stimulation is another surgical option that has been used, which does not require the destruction of brain tissue ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder). Conclusion: While everyone has their own little pet peeves and their own little things that need to be perfect, these abnormal behaviors may not necessarily be OCD. A person can be effected by severe stress and other fears and still have some of the symptoms, but it is best to see a professional doctor to know for sure if a person has OCD or not. It is also important to be able to tell the difference between simply being anal, and a person who is actually affected by this serious, life changing and life damaging disorder. OCD can have many different symptoms, and sometimes a person may have all, of a mix, or even only one or two of the known symptoms. Regardless, if a person is found to have enough of the requirements to be diagnosed with the disease, their whole life can change based on the disorder. OCD is a nerve wrecking, life altering disorder, and can really affect a person’s future. The good news however, is that there are a myriad of different possibilities for people who are trying to live with OCD. There are several different types of therapy available, that can help a person learn to control, and eventually beat their obsessive compulsive disorder. There are also medications, and even surgery that can be used to help a person beat this horrible disease. Obsessive disorder is a life changing disease, and can be diagnosed from a myriad of symptoms, and it also can be treated from many various means, all meant to help improve the person coping with the disorder’s life. Read More