Christian
LifeSkills
For
Personal & Spiritual Growth
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder
--
"I couldn't do anything without rituals. They transcended every aspect of
my life. Counting was big for me. When I set my alarm at night, I had to set it
to a number that wouldn't add up to a "bad" number. If my sister was
33 and I was 24, I couldn't leave the TV on Channel 33 or 24. I would wash my
hair three times as opposed to once because three was a good luck number and one
wasn't. It took me longer to read because I'd count the lines in a paragraph. If
I was writing a term paper, I couldn't have a certain number of words on a line
if it added up to a bad number. I was always worried that if I didn't do
something, my parents were going to die. Or I would worry about harming my
parents, which was completely irrational. I couldn't wear anything that said
Boston because my parents were from Boston. I couldn't write the word
"death" because I was worried that something bad would happen."
"Getting
dressed in the morning was tough because I had a routine, and if I deviated from
that routine, I'd have to get dressed again. I knew the rituals didn't make
sense, but I couldn't seem to overcome them until I had therapy."
The disturbing thoughts or images
are called obsessions, and the rituals
performed to try to prevent or
dispel them are called compulsions.
There is no pleasure in carrying out
the rituals you are drawn to, only
temporary relief from the
discomfort caused by the obsession.
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder is characterized by anxious thoughts or rituals you feel you can't
control. If you have OCD, as it's called, you may be plagued by persistent,
unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain
rituals.
You may be obsessed
with germs or dirt, so you wash your hands over and over. You may be filled with
doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly. You might be preoccupied by
thoughts of violence and fear that you will harm people close to you. You may
spend long periods of time touching things or counting; you may be preoccupied
by order or symmetry; you may have persistent thoughts of performing sexual acts
that are repugnant to you; or you may be troubled by thoughts that are against
your religious beliefs.
The disturbing thoughts or
images are called obsessions, and the rituals that are performed to try to
prevent or dispel them are called compulsions. There is no pleasure in carrying
out the rituals you are drawn to, only temporary relief from the discomfort
caused by the obsession.
A lot of healthy
people can identify with having some of the symptoms of OCD, such as checking
the stove several times before leaving the house. But the disorder is diagnosed
only when such activities consume at least an hour a day, are very distressing,
and interfere with daily life.
Most adults with this
condition recognize that what they're doing is senseless, but they can't stop
it. Some people, though, particularly children with OCD, may not realize that
their behavior is out of the ordinary.
OCD strikes men and women
in approximately equal numbers and afflicts roughly 1 in 50 people. It can
appear in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, but on the average it first
shows up in the teens or early adulthood. A third of adults with OCD experienced
their first symptoms as children. The course of the disease is
variable--symptoms may come and go, they may ease over time, or they can grow
progressively worse. Evidence suggests that OCD might run in families.
Depression or other
anxiety disorders may accompany OCD. And some people with OCD have eating
disorders. In addition, they may avoid situations in which they might have to
confront their obsessions. Or they may try unsuccessfully to use alcohol or
drugs to calm themselves. If OCD grows severe enough, it can keep someone from
holding down a job or from carrying out normal responsibilities at home, but
more often it doesn't develop to those extremes.
Research by
NIMH-funded
scientists and other investigators has led to the development of medications and
behavioral treatments that can benefit people with OCD. A combination of the two
treatments is often helpful for most patients. Some individuals respond best to
one therapy, some to another. Two medications that have been found effective in
treating OCD are clomipramine and fluoxetine. A number of others are showing
promise, however, and may soon be available.
Behavioral therapy,
specifically a type called exposure and
response prevention, has also proven useful for treating OCD. It involves
exposing the person to whatever triggers the problem and then helping him or her
forego the usual ritual--for instance, having the patient touch something dirty
and then not wash his hands. This therapy is often successful in patients who
complete a behavioral therapy program, though results have been less favorable
in some people who have both OCD and depression.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
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