Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Introduction

The disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent unwanted thoughts and feelings (called obsessions) that lead to repetitive actions (called compulsions). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder. Recurrent thoughts, ideas, feelings, or sensations that replay repeatedly in a person’s head are called obsessions.

Compulsions are actions or behaviours that a person feels driven to perform—sometimes to satisfy an obsession. Repetitive activities can seriously hinder social relationships and day-to-day functioning. Although OCD is typically a chronic (lifelong) disorder, symptoms may fluctuate over time. Everybody has compulsions and obsessions from time to time. For instance, it’s customary to periodically check the locks or the cooker again.

People also commonly use the terms “obsessing” and “obsessed” in informal conversations. OCD, however, is more severe. It can consume hours of a person’s day. It interferes with everyday activities and living. OCD sufferers dislike engaging in compulsive behaviours; their obsessions are undesirable. The majority of OCD sufferers first exhibit symptoms before the age of thirty. Treatment options for OCD include therapy, medication, or a combination of these.

Types of OCD

OCD has no clinically recognized subtypes; however, compulsions and obsessions frequently center on a few common themes. Among them are:

Checking. This entails continuously checking the oven, light switches, locks, and alarm system out of fear that something horrible is going to happen or that you’ve done something wrong.
Pollution. This is a phobia of potentially filthy objects or a need to clean. You can abstain from shaking hands, using public restrooms, and touching doorknobs. Feeling like a piece of dirt is a sign of mental contamination.

Order and Symmetry: This is the requirement to arrange things in a specific manner. It also includes repetitive motions or obsessive counting. It could stem from an obsession that has nothing to do with it, such as fearing that someone would die unless you tap the table a specific amount of times.
Ruminations and Bothersome Ideas: It is a fascination with a particular school of thought. These thoughts may include violent or unsettling ideas.

After giving birth, OCD

Some believe hormonal changes during and after pregnancy, along with the additional responsibilities of parenthood, trigger a particular type of OCD. Postpartum or perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by thoughts and actions focused on the infant, such as obsessively sanitizing baby objects or the persistent concern that something horrible will happen to them. It’s critical to acknowledge that every new parent experiences some degree of concern around their infants. Like other types of OCD, it becomes a disorder if it interferes with your ability to live your life normally, care for your children, or use compulsive behaviours to cope with your obsessions.

Causes

The exact cause of OCD is unknown. Researchers suspect that it may link to several circumstances. The most prevailing research suggests that OCD develops because of brain abnormalities. It may be that brain structures do not function as they should or that chemicals in the brain do not carry messages accurately. It appears that OCD may run in families. Many people with OCD have family members with OCD or another anxiety disorder. Researchers are studying various genes to try to identify how OCD is passed on to family members. It appears that some people who experience a strep infection or a traumatic brain injury develop OCD. Because of recent research, former psychological theories appear to be a less likely cause of OCD. OCD typically develops in children, teenagers, and young adults. Most people with OCD experience symptoms by the time they are 30 years old. It affects males and females in equal numbers.

Symptoms

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms differ from person to person. Your symptoms might be intermittent, improve with time, or worsen. The symptoms take a lot of time and can persist for an hour or longer every day. Severe symptoms may hinder your ability to form social bonds, work, attend school, and take care of the house. Some people steer clear of circumstances or activities that seem to aggravate their symptoms. Isolation and other issues, such as depression, may result from this.

Feelings, ideas, emotions, and sensations that recur frequently are examples of obsessive symptoms. Even when you know that your obsessions are unsuitable, you can find it difficult or impossible to stop them from invading your thoughts. Occasionally, your obsessions have nothing to do with reality. The frequent obsessions can make you feel anxious, distressed, or like your life is about to end. Each person has different obsessions. Typical instances are a fear of germs, injury, or hurting someone.
Compulsions are recurring behaviours or rituals carried out to manage or eliminate obsessions. Behaviours such as incessant hand washing, touching objects, organizing things, or precisely positioning objects are examples of compulsions. Checking repeatedly could involve turning a light switch on and off, making sure the cooker is off, or making sure a coffee pot is off. Praying, counting, or repeating words are examples of repeated cognitive processes that can become compulsions. Compulsions may also involve hoarding, which includes preserving an excessive number of clothing, rubber bands, tinfoil, paper scraps, or other materials to the point where it interferes with daily life.

Different Levels of Severity

OCD can start in childhood, but it usually starts in adolescence or early adulthood. Typically, symptoms develop gradually and change in intensity over the course of a person’s lifetime. It’s also possible for your compulsions and obsessions to evolve. Generally speaking, symptoms worsen during periods of increased stress, such as transition and change. OCD is typically believed to be a lifelong illness; however, it can have mild to moderate symptoms or become incapacitatingly severe and time-consuming.

Diagnosis

A psychiatrist can start diagnosing OCD through examinations or questionnaires, as well as by studying your medical history and symptoms. You should describe your symptoms to your doctor, including when they happen and how long they last. To rule out other disorders and identify OCD, your doctor will ask you questions. In order to assess if you fit the precise diagnostic criteria for OCD, your doctor will go over all of your responses and information.

Risk Factors

The following variables may increase the likelihood of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder:

Family history: You are more likely to develop OCD if you have parents or other family members who have the illness.
Stressful life experiences: Your risk may rise if you have experienced traumatic or stressful occurrences. This reaction may trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals, and mental anguish associated with OCD.
Additional mental health conditions: OCD may be associated with anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and tic disorders.

Treatment

OCD has no known treatment. However, using medication, therapy, or a mix of these treatments may help you control how your symptoms impact your life.

Counselling

Your thought patterns can be altered with the aid of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Your doctor may employ exposure and response prevention, a technique that involves placing you in situations designed to trigger compulsions or induce anxiety. Your doctor will reduce and eventually stop your OCD thoughts and behaviours.

Additional therapeutic approaches that could be beneficial include mindfulness, inference-based cognitive behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Spending a few weeks in an intense outpatient or residential therapy program may be the best option if your symptoms are so severe that you find it difficult to manage your everyday life.

OCD Medicines

Obsessions and compulsions are mostly managed with antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Their dosage is typically higher than that used to treat depression. Common ones consist of:

Lexapro’s Escitalopram
Celexa’s Citalopram
Prozac (fluoxetine)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
(Zoloft) Sertraline

The alternative antidepressant clomipramine (Anafranil) is also occasionally used. It could take two to four months for these medications to start to work. Your doctor may prescribe antipsychotic medications like aripiprazole (Abilify) or risperidone (Risperdal) if you’ve tried them and your symptoms persist. Take medication for at least a year or two, or forever if it helps. To prevent possibly harmful interactions, let your doctor know about all of your other medications, including supplements.

Other OCD treatments

While psychotherapy and SSRIs are the standard treatment, researchers are working to find new drugs and other treatment methods to help people with OCD.

Neuromodulation: In rare cases, when therapy and medication aren’t making enough of a difference, your doctor might talk to you about devices that change the electrical activity in a certain area of your brain. One kind, transcranial magnetic stimulation, uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells. A more complicated procedure, deep brain stimulation, uses electrodes that are implanted in your head.
Operation: It’s experimental, but brain surgery may be an option for people whose OCD symptoms are debilitating. One of several procedures destroys brain cells in regions linked to OCD.
Relaxation: Things such as meditation, yoga, and massage can help with stressful OCD symptoms.

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