Obsessive Complusive Disorder - How to treat it?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a chronic and long lasting disorder that forces you to do repeated things again and again.The person will have obsessive thoughts and behaviour that makes he/she to do repeated activities over and over or again and again.

Obsessions are repeated thoughts that cause anxiety.

OCD affects each person in different ways . But it cause a particular pattern of thoughts and behaviours

 The following are the patterns of thoughts and behaviour :

 

Obsessive : Often an obsessive thoughts , behaviours , mental images gets accumulated in your mind.

Anxiety : These obsessive or compulsive thoughts triggers intense anxiety feeling.

Compulsion : The intense anxiety or distress urged or forces you to carry out some repetitive activity or mental acts.

Temporary Relief : It is just the temporary relief from the obsessive or compulsive thoughts and may soon the person is accumulated with the repeated behaviours or mental acts.

Some person can have obsessive thoughts and some may have only compulsive behaviours.

Obsessive thoughts :

Everyone would have experienced obsessive thoughts at some point of our life. Fear on whether we have locked the door correctly or even sudden unwelcome violent or offensive mental images.

But if you continuously have these obsessive thoughts that often interrupts your other thoughts , then he/she may having OCD .

Some of the obsession thoughts that a OCD affected person has :

Fear of deliberately harming yourself or others : You may have fear of thoughts that you may attack your closed ones or harming yourself.

Fear of harming others by mistake : You may have fear that if we don't switch of the gas fire may occur .

Fear that you will be contaminated with disease , infection or unpleasant thoughts.

Indulging with a thought of a systematic or orderliness arrangements : You may ensure that the things are arranged in systematic manner . Example you may feel the need to ensure all the labels on the tins in your cupboard face the same way

Compulsive Behaviours :

Compulsive behavior occurs when a person's inner anxiety motivate them yo carry out the compulsive behaviours caused by the obsessive thoughts.

For instance , People who feel fear of germs and infection , they repeatedly wash their hands . If they fear of harming others they will harm their family may have the urge to repeat an action multiple times to "neutralise" the thought.

But many people with compulsive behaviour know they are wrong or irrational or makes no sense in doing repeated activity. But they can't stop acting on it . They will do it often because they need to do it.

Some of the compulsive behaviour that people with OCD does:

• Cleaning and handwashing

       

• Checking that their doors are locked or switch off the gas

           

• Arranging books , kitchen utensils , clothes in a particular pattern or even that label them     and check those labels are rightly placed because of the fear that they won't remember the arranged things .   

   

• Avoiding places and situation that could trigger obsessive thoughts .

           

• Repeating the words in their head for making sure the things are going smoothly.

Note : Some of the compulsive behaviours may seems obvious to others but not all .

So , if you find a person with such compulsive behaviours immediately suggest them to consult a doctor , urge them to take immediate advice and follow proper medications.

People with the above compulsive behaviour often feel reluctant to seek help or consult a doctor because they feel embarrassed or ashamed.

They also have irrational feeling they have gone mad and it is not fault that you're having it.

So , if you have these obsessive compulsion disorder immediately you can refer a psychologist or psychiatrist or therapist .

Treatments for OCD

Usually CBT will be done . Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that helps you face your fears and obsessive thoughts without "putting them right" with compulsions .

Antidepressant medication called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) helps to balance the chemicals in your brain.

CBT may completely cure OCD . If not eventually , SSRI would be carried out.

If these treatments don't help, you may be offered an alternative SSRI or given a combination of an SSRI and CBT. Some people may be referred to a specialist mental health service for further treatment.

Causes of OCD :

•     Can be Genetic or heredity

       

•     Chemical imbalance in the brain

       

•     Life Events – Abuse , neglect , bullying and sometimes OCD can occur after an 
      important life event .       

   

•     Personality : Neat , meticulous and methodical people can have OCD . Because 
      they feel anxious when the things around them is not happening in a systematic 
      manner.