Obsessive-compulsive disorder, otherwise known as OCD, is a mental and behavioural disorder, which is estimated to develop in 2.3% of the population. It is defined by two main symptoms: obsessions and compulsions, which create a relentless cycle of anxiety and relief. Many believe that people with OCD are simply extreme perfectionists, but do not realise how dominating and debilitating it can be. It can seriously impact daily routines and functioning, but with therapy and treatment, many people can manage their symptoms. Understanding its symptoms, causes and treatments can help us support those who are affected and break the stigma behind this disorder.
What are the symptoms?
As afore mentioned, there are two main symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are lasting and unwanted thoughts or urges and images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. They often have themes, such as fear of contamination, needing to be organised, aggressive or horrific thoughts about losing control and harming others, and can be presented in the form of fear of being contaminated by touching objects that others have touched, doubts that the door has been locked or insane stress when objects are not orderly or facing a certain way.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours that a person feels driven to do in order to reduce anxiety related to the obsessions, or to prevent something bad from happening. A person with OCD may make up rules to help control the anxiety caused by having obsessive thoughts. Like obsessions, compulsions also have themes, including cleaning, counting, checking and ordering.
You may have heard of people who wash their hands constantly or who check doors over and over again to make sure they are locked or who arrange tins and cans of food to face the same way. These are all examples of compulsions. If you have watched the film ‘As Good as It Gets’, you will recognise some of these symptoms in the main character, Marvin.
OCD usually includes both obsessions and compulsions, but it is also possible to have only obsession symptoms or only compulsion symptoms.
What are the causes?
The cause of this disorder is not fully understood. There are many theories, however, as to what causes it. These include: genetics (where it is believed that OCD may have a genetic component, although specific genes are yet to be found), biology (where it is thought that OCD may be due to changes in the body’s chemistry or brain functions) and learning (where obsessions and compulsions can be learned from watching family members). Family history, stressful life events and other mental health disorders are thought to increase the likelihood of developing this disorder.
Is there a cure?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for OCD and there is no way to prevent it. However, there are several treatments which have proven to be effective without needing brain surgery, and can prevent the disorder from getting worse and disrupting a person’s daily life.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
One treatment is called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT. CBT is a form of talking therapy, mainly structured around the person’s ‘here and now’ problems, rarely focusing on the past. In addition, it is meant to be relatively short, lasting weeks and months instead of years. Research has shown that 75% of people with OCD are significantly helped by CBT.
Medication
Medication is another form of treatment, which helps to reduce the symptoms of OCD. People who benefit from medication usually see their symptoms reduced by 40-60%, which can make their daily life easier. The most effective medications are a type of drug called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs.
Essentially what these do is cause an increase in serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a brain chemical that regulates mood and anxiety, so an increase causes a person to feel happier and less anxious. In terms of how it works, put simply, it stops a process called reuptake, which is when serotonin is taken into the cells. When this happens, the serotonin levels in the brain decrease. Think of it being like a plate full of biscuits, where the biscuits represent the serotonin and the plate represents the brain. If you see a plate full of biscuits, you are going to feel happy. If some other people, which in this case represent the cells, come in and take your biscuits (this is reuptake) you are going to feel quite sad. SSRIs help people with OCD deal with the anxiety caused by their obsessions, and make them feel less anxious.
However, there are several side effects, such as nausea, insomnia or weight changes. They may lessen over time, but it does make the medication-taking process very hard.
Significant research is being done to understand and identify the causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which would lead to more effective treatments in the future. In the meantime, it is important for us to be understanding towards people who have this disorder, and hopefully this article has helped you better your knowledge about it.
By: Sofia Buck, Year 12
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