The condition OCD is often referred to in our normal day lives however this disorder is in fact a lot more difficult than what people tend to believe. In this article I will be looking what OCD is, the causes and symptoms as well as possible treatment.
Obsessive compulsive disorder, more commonly known as OCD, is a common mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. OCD can affect women, men as well as children. Some people start having symptoms early, around the age puberty, however it usually starts during early adulthood. OCD can be distressing and significantly interfere with your life, but treatment can help to keep it under control.
Symptoms of people with OCD include an obsession, which can be an unwanted or unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters your mind, causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease. It also includes a compulsion, which is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that you feel you need to do to temporarily relieve the unpleasant feelings brought on by the obsessive thought.
It is not absolutely clear what causes OCD however there are a number of different factors which may play a part, including: the family history as you're more likely to develop OCD if a family member has it, possibly because of your genes. Studies have shown that people with first-degree relatives for example a parent, sibling, or child who has OCD are at a higher risk for developing it themselves. The risk is higher if the first-degree relative developed OCD as a child or teen. On-going research continues to explore the connection between genetics and OCD and may help improve diagnosis and treatment in the future.
There are also differences in the brain as some people with the disorder have areas of unusually high activity in their brain or low levels of a chemical called serotonin. Imaging studies have shown differences in the frontal cortex and subcortical structures of the brain in patients with OCD. There appears to be a connection between the OCD symptoms and abnormalities in certain areas of the brain, but that connection is not completely understood yet and research is still underway. Understanding the causes will help determine specific, personalised methods to treat OCD.
Another factor that contributes is life events as OCD may be more common in people who have been bullied, abused or neglected, and it sometimes starts after an important life event, such as childbirth or bereavement. It can also depend on personality as neat, meticulous, methodical people with high personal standards may be more likely to develop OCD, also people who are generally quite anxious or have a very strong sense of responsibility for themselves and others.
There are some effective treatments for OCD that can help reduce the impact it has on your life. The main treatments include: psychological therapy – usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps you face your fears and obsessive thoughts without "putting them right" through compulsions. Another treatment is medicine – usually a type of antidepressant medicine called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can help by altering the balance of chemicals in your brain. CBT will usually have an effect quite quickly. It can take several months before you notice the effects of treatment with SSRIs, but most people will eventually benefit. Some people may be referred to a specialist mental health service for further treatment.
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