What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder that affects many people.
OCD is a common mental disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts that are relieved by compulsions. The obsessive thoughts range from constantly fearing germs, fear of being hurt, fear of illness, etc. The compulsions are the result of the obsessive thoughts, they include having routines, washing hands constantly, disinfecting everything, having to count religiously, ordering and rearranging nonstop until the obsessive thoughts are calmed. Compulsions are a way to ease the anxiety caused by the obsessive thoughts and somehow neutralize the fear of the obsessive thoughts.
These thoughts are unwanted and recurrent. The person who suffers from it cannot stop. Most people who don’t have OCD wonder why the sufferer can’t just stop or change. It is not easy for a sufferer to stop because it is beyond their control. By forcing them, it makes it worse and nothing is accomplished. These obsessive thoughts control the person, the person doesn’t control them. Even though the sufferer knows that what they are doing is irrational there is no way that it can be stopped unless treatment is administered. Even then, the obsessive thoughts still persist but to a lesser degree. There are several successful treatments administered to OCD sufferers that help them live normally.
Obsessive thoughts and compulsions differ from person to person. Each person that suffers from the disorder exhibit a wide range of intrusive thoughts. These obsessive thoughts cause anxiety in the person who suffers from them. The way to ease the anxiety is by performing rituals which vary from person to person. OCD affects a persons’ everyday life, from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep. The cause of OCD is not fully understood but OCD seems to be associated with faulty serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which regulates anxiety by transporting messages to the brain through the central nervous system.
OCD sufferers seem to have a faulty or abnormal serotonin receptor preventing the serotonin from binding to receptors and performing to its full potential. Another possible cause of OCD seems to be hereditary. In a 2007 study, engineered mice that lacked a gene called SAPAP3 had OCD tendencies in grooming, compared to normal mice. OCD also seems to be prevalent in families with a history. Research is being done to find the cause and better ways to treat OCD. Researchers are using the fact that the brain activity in those with OCD is different than in those who don’t have the disorder to come up with treatments.
OCD can take over a person’s life and it is hard to get help because the sufferer can’t imagine how life would be without the disorder because they feel that something bad will happen without the compulsions. The sufferer does wish that the obsessive thoughts would stop and the wish for a normal life is there but it is hard after having the feeling of being trapped to imagine being free of the disorder. Seeking medical help is the best way to help treat OCD and begin living a normal life.
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