Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay

Adrianna Thomas
2:00 TR
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, ideas, feelings, or obsessions that make them driven to do something (compulsions) (Berger, 2012). Obsessions are thoughts that recur even after one has the desire to get rid of them. People that have OCD have obsessions or compulsions that cause major distress that is a distraction to everyday life. There are different kinds of obsessions that include: the fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt, fear of harming others, sexual thoughts and images, excessively focusing in religion or morals, order and symmetry (thinking that something has to be lined up perfect, and superstitions (paying a lot of attention to something to is considered lucky or unlucky). Common compulsive behaviors include: constantly double-checking things, such as locks and switches, constantly checking on someone to make sure they are safe, counting or tapping or repeating certain words and doing other things to reduce anxiety, spending a lot of time washing or cleaning something, putting things in order or rearranging things, overly praying, and accumulating junk. The most common treatment for people with OCD is often cognitive-behavioral therapy (Robinson & Smith, 2012). Cognitive-behavioral therapy has two components: Exposure and response prevention involves repeatedly exposing to the source of your obsession. The person with OCD is then asked to stop the compulsive behavior to reduce anxiety. “For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety—that you have some control over your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors” (Robinson & Smith, 2012). Cognitive therapy focuses on the thoughts and responsibility someone with OCD may feel. A big part of cognitive therapy for OCD is teaching one with OCD good and operational ways of “responding to obsessive thoughts, without resorting to compulsive behavior” (Robinson & Smith, 2012). Because OCD affects the entire family, family therapy can be beneficial. Family therapy helps one understand the disorder and it can help conflicts in the family. It can motivate the family of learning to deal and cope with someone with OCD. People living with OCD believe that rituals makes a difference in their life, but only if the rituals are performed properly. This long-term stress can cause heart disease and ulcers. People who perform rituals can experience some health effects. People who wash their 100 times per day might develop skin irritations, and people who scrub their hair many times a day might pull that hair out. People with OCD may be ashamed that they have the disease. Even though the behavior is abnormal, they cannot stop. OCD will not disappear on its own; children who have the disease will not simply outgrow it. The disease can worsen and strengthen as the child grows, and the longer the behaviors are allowed to go on unchecked, the harder it is for the person to change those behaviors. Living with someone who has OCD can also be difficult. “You might be embarrassed that your child turns the lights on and off during a dinner party or you might face questions from your child’s school about your child’s repetitive behavior in class” (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Living with someone with OCD means living with someone who keeps secrets, and these secrets can be damaging to the family’s unity and trust. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, mental disorders are half of the 10 leading causes of disability in economies worldwide. Many people that have OCD tend to live a normal life, even though it affects the person

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