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Causes
• Signs
& Symptoms • Treatments
• Medication
Therapy •
Behavior Therapy •
Living With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
•
How Family & Friends Can Help
A type
of anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder is marked
by obsessions recurring, unwanted and unpleasant thoughts
that cause anxiety and compulsions repetitive, ritualistic
actions performed to relieve the anxiety. These rituals can
literally take hours to perform each day, interfering with
every aspect of life. Victims are powerless to control the
thoughts and rituals, even though they know they make no sense.
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder afflicts millions of Americans and can strike at
any age. The disorder causes embarrassment and confusion in
many victims to the extent that they refuse or are unable
to seek treatment. But treatment is available, and advances
in medications and therapies have successfully returned many
people with obsessive-compulsive disorder to productive, satisfying
lives.
Causes
While research has led to a significant understanding
of obsessive-compulsive disorder, scientists have not found
the exact mechanism that triggers the illness. However, recent
studies have linked obsessive-compulsive disorder to imbalances
in brain chemistry. These changes usually involve serotonin,
which controls moods and feelings.
Then there is always the genetic link. Obsessive-compulsive
disorder usually runs in families, and accompanying disorders,
other anxiety disorders and depression, are also common not
only in the victim but family members as well. Other factors,
such as head trauma, birth trauma, epilepsy and other serious
illnesses, are believed to cause or complicate obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
Signs
and Symptoms
People
who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder will likely
display one or more of the following obsessive thoughts and
compulsive behaviors:
Typical
Obsessions
- Fear
of contamination, by dirt, germs, chemicals, disease, bodily
waste
- Fear
of causing harm to themselves or another person
- Preoccupation
with body parts; fear of physical deformation or inadequacy
- Fear
of making a mistake
- Fear
of socially unacceptable behavior - profanity, sexual advances,
saying the wrong thing
Typical
Compulsions
- Cleaning
- excessively bathing, washing hands, house-cleaning
- Completing
- performing a series of complicated steps in precise order
until completed to perfection
- Repeating
- saying a name or phrase, or counting to a certain number
until completed to perfection
- Checking
- repeatedly checking items or locations to prevent harm
to themselves or others
- Hoarding
- constantly collecting and storing useless items, usually
counting them repeatedly
- Meticulousness
- constantly tidying and arranging items in a certain way
- Slowness
- taking an unusually long time to complete a particular
task
Treatments
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder can be successfully treated with medication behavior
therapy. Because individuals respond differently to the variety
of therapies, it is important to work closely with your doctor
to find the right combination for you.
Medication
Therapy
Two categories
of medications are approved for use in treating obsessive-compulsive
disorder: tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications counter the
brain's imbalance of serotonin, the chemical linked with obsessive-compulsive
disorder. It is important to monitor your response to medication,
which usually becomes fully effective within several weeks.
Behavior
Therapy
While
medication helps level chemical imbalances, behavior therapy
helps patients to learn to resist their obsessions and compulsions.
In therapy, patients are gradually exposed to the things which
cause their anxieties and provoke the obsessive behaviors.
However, they are not allowed to perform the rituals that
usually relieve the anxiety. Over time, patients learn that
their feared consequences do not occur, and their anxieties
decrease.
Behavior
therapy has been proven very effective, but its effectiveness
relies on the patient's willingness to follow the treatment
as prescribed by the doctor. Group therapy brings patients
together to share experiences and draw support from one another.
Living
with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder can disrupt a victim's life. It can keep someone
from going to work or attending school. It can keep someone
from living in his or her own house. It can be embarrassing
to the extent that a person refuses to seek treatment. But
treatment is essential, and can usually help or end needless
anguish.
How
Family and Friends Can Help
The most
important thing family and friends can do for a person with
obsessive-compulsive disorder is to help him or her get treatment.
This may involve encouraging the patient to stay with the
treatment, going with the patient to the doctor, or even monitoring
whether the patient is taking medication.
Another
important way to help is to offer emotional support - understanding,
patience, affection and encouragement. Always listen to the
victim. Do not blame them for their disorder, make fun of
them or tell them to simply stop their behaviors. Also, never
participate in the rituals.
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Overview