Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Are you bothered by unpleasant thoughts or recurring images, such as:

Being contaminated by dirt, germs, chemicals, radiation or acquiring a

life-threatening illness?

Keeping objects (clothing, groceries, and tools) arranged exactly?

Do you worry a lot about terrible things happening, such as:

Fire, burglary or flooding your house?

Accidentally hitting a pedestrian with your car or letting your car

roll down the hill?

Harm coming to a loved one because you weren't careful enough?

Do you feel driven to repeat certain acts over and over again, such as:

Excessive or ritualized washing or cleaning?

Checking, counting or arranging behaviors?

Repeating routine actions (such as going through a doorway) until it

feels just right?

Examining your body for signs of illness?

Needing to "confess" or repeatedly asking for reassurance that you

said or did something correctly?

(Goodman, 1994)

If the patient answers yes to two or more of the question there might be a chance of them suffering obsessive compulsive disorder.

• Cognitive techniques – for example, learning to identify and change ways of thinking that affect your mood or stand between you and your goals.

• Excessive concerns about profane thoughts or morality. (Gale, 2004) No one has yet proved these theories though they might to seem true they are 100 percent sure of what really cause obsessive compulsive disorder, it could be a combination of these theories. (Gale, 2004) Obsessive compulsive cannot be prevented no matter what you do; you have a chance of getting this disorder. This treatment is effective on other depression also such as, anxiety, stress, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia and other phobias; health problems such as headaches, bulimia, rheumatic pain and smoking cessation; childhood difficulties such as bedwetting and oppositional behavior; and marital distress.

(Golant, 1998)

Compulsions are repeated behaviors in which they engage to rid themselves of the fears that their obsessive thoughts create:

• Constant washing, counting, checking of appliances or door locks, and hoarding of useless articles.

• Behavioral techniques – for example, learning stress-management; how to get yourself to do things you have been avoiding; increasing the pleasant activities in your life; or how to reduce unhelpful habits.

• Resolving problems due to abuse or neglect as a child – increasing self-esteem and self-confidence; becoming less dependent upon or rejecting of others. Jeffrey Schwartz, in his book Brain Lock, theorizes that because of genetic or other factors in OCD patients, some of these areas get “stuck in the on position,” producing a constant state of over-arousal. (Gale, 2004) If one person in the family, there is a 25 percent chance that another member of the family may have the same condition. People might hide their rituals they do because of this disorder so people think they are normal even though the person knows that they still are suffering for obsessive compulsive disorder. St John’s wort is an herb that has used to treat depression and anxiety. (Gale, 2004) Some doctors believe that St John’s wort has some effect on neurotransmitters.