Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Overview

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Overview OCD Print Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Overview By Owen Kelly, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 26, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD on November 26, 2019 Brian Kennedy / Getty Images More in OCD Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Types Living With OCD Related Conditions At one time or another, weve all double-checked that we locked the front door, knocked on wood to ward off certain disaster, or had a strange or even disturbing thought pop into our heads from out of the blue. While most people continue about their daily routine without giving these experiences a second thought, if you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these kinds of occurrences can become both distressing and debilitating. OCD is considered an anxiety disorder, as people affected by this mental illness experience severe anxiety as the result of obsessive thoughts. Often, extensive rituals are undertaken in an attempt to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. Symptoms Obsessions are thoughts, images, or ideas that wont go away, are unwanted, and are extremely distressing or worrying (What if I become infected with a deadly disease? or What if I molest a child or murder my partner?). Compulsions are behaviors that have to be done over and over again to relieve anxiety. Compulsions are often related to obsessions. For example, if you are obsessed with being contaminated, you might feel compelled to wash your hands repeatedly. However, this is not always the case. Whos Affected OCD is a relatively common disease that affects about 2.5% of people over their lifetime. It is experienced equally by men and women  and affects all races and cultures. OCD usually begins around late adolescence/young adulthood, although young children and teenagers can also be affected. Parents and teachers often miss OCD in young children and teenagers, as they go to great lengths to hide their symptoms. Parents should also be aware of a subtype of OCD in children exacerbated or triggered by strep throat, in which the childs own immune system attacks the brain. This Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (PANDAS) form of OCD accounts for 25% of the children who have OCD. Unlike normal OCD, which develops slowly, PANDAS OCD develops quickly and has a variety of other symptoms not associated with typical cases of OCD. Where Does OCD Come From? Symptoms of OCD usually appear gradually and can be long-lasting if not treated. Stress from unemployment, relationship difficulties, problems at school, illness or childbirth can be strong triggers for symptoms of OCD. In addition, although a single OCD gene has not been identified, OCD may be related to particular groups of genes. You may also be at greater risk if there is a family history of the disorder. People who are vulnerable to OCD describe a strong need to control their thoughts  and feel that strange or unusual thoughts mean they are going crazy or will lose control. So, while many people can have strange or unusual thoughts when feeling stressed, if you are vulnerable to OCD it may be difficult to ignore or forget about these thoughts. In fact, because these thoughts seem so dangerous, you end up paying even more attention to them, which sets up a vicious cycle. OCD can also be understood from a biological perspective. Although there was a time when mental illness was thought to be the result of a character flaw, it is now clear that mental illnesses, such as OCD, have biological causes. One theory is that OCD comes from a breakdown in the circuit in the brain that filters or censors the many thoughts, ideas, and impulses that we have each day. If you have OCD, your brain may have difficulty deciding which thoughts and impulses to turn off. As a result, you may experience obsessions and/or compulsions. The breakdown of this system may be related to serotonin abnormalities.? Treatment There are a variety of medications that are effective in reducing the frequency and severity of OCD symptoms. Many of the medications that are effective in treating OCD, such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Anafranil (clomipramine), affect levels of serotonin. Psychological therapies are also highly effective treatments for reducing the frequency and intensity of OCD symptoms. Effective psychological treatments for OCD emphasize changes in behavior and/or thoughts. When appropriate, psychotherapy can be done alone or combined with medication. The two main types of psychological therapies for OCD are cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy.