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Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

As of the time of this article, it is not known clinically why a person develops Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is often described when a person has a ritual of repeating certain acts and doing things a specific way. Examples are: shutting the stove off in a series of times with ending resulting as the first, not stepping on a crack in a sidewalk, and counting pin holes in the ceiling tiles, and so on. Though the research continues on, medical researchers and scientists are in high hopes of finding the cure by linking it to the cause. Theories will be discussed here to help clarify the disorder.

Some scientists believe that serotonin is the cause of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is believed due to the fact that OCD is a form of Anxiety disorder and serotonin is linked to anxiety. Serotonin controls the mood, sleep, appetite, pain and aggression in a person and it is thought that serotonin is the key to OCD. IN one study it was thought that a cause to OCD might be visual seen in the brain through medical records and MRI's. Unfortunately, there is no apparent link to this theory. People with OCD and not have any differences in the MRI scans and medical records.

For OCD sufferers it affects their entire life. In fact, sometimes OCD patients have to hire help to get even the simplest tasks completed. This is important so that the task can get done in a timely manner. For example if the OCD sufferer has to complete things in a repetitive form of five, getting dressed could take a considerable amount of the day. A social life may also be affected by causing a scene if a ritual was performed or even prove to be embarrassing to the person with OCD which may in turn cause a low self esteem. In most cases, OCD people tend to turn to drugs and alcohol to get over the embarrassment or esteem issues.

For people with OCD, there are treatments that are known to alleviate the symptoms. It is important to state that no one should self diagnose. Talk to a trained health care professional who evaluate the symptoms, there are cases where a serious medical problem may be the issue, not the anxiety disorder OCD. When the health care professional confirms it is OCD, a mental health therapist will then be the next step for treatment. The mental health therapist will then combine behavioral or cognitive therapies with an antidepressant. When choosing a mental health therapist, it is important to choose one that one is comfortable with. As with any mental health therapy, a good relationship is crucial to an effective treatment.

When it comes to treatment, it may be necessary to continual look for the right therapist one is most comfortable with. Keep a diary of incidents and discuss them with the therapist, especially instances that are proving to be annoying in everyday life. Only your therapist is trained to adjust the dosage or change the prescription, so it is critical to not alter or stop taking the prescription medication. Serious side effects may occur, including suicide.