When walking down the street, you may see a bum on the side of the street trying to sell you his boot, or you walk into a man sitting in a café seemingly talking to himself and making repetitive hand motions. Little do you know that most of the weird things you see daily are no fault of the individual presenting those actions; it may be a medical disorder, and even beyond that, a mental disorder. Every single person who suffer from OCD has the capacity of overcoming OCD, it is that without patience, an amplitude of fear, and lack of confidence, is what keeps you back from succeeding the disorder known as OCD. Obsessive compulsive disorder has been a haunting and exhausting nuisance for some, but can, in time and confidence, be conquered.
Have you ever been overcome with such strong desires to do certain things that in order for you to feel normal, you must complete the task a certain number of times or this uneasy feeling remains? According to the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation, approximately 1 in 50 adults suffer from a mental disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Throughout this paper, I will discuss what OCD really is, the physical causes it effects on your brain, studied cases on patients that have succeeded in overcoming the disorder, as well as those who have failed but succeeded in a second trying with a different attitude, its different treatments, and conclude on the best treatment. OCD is a common mental disease, more common than schizophrenia and bipolar, so there is more than one single treatment that is available to its sufferers (Some OCD Facts and Figures). Since OCD has a wide range of effects on people, a combination of both medicinal and psychological therapies is that best way to treat this disorder.
When asked if she knew what obsessive-compulsive disorder is, the 12 year-old girl responded with a, “Huh?!” It was apparent that she did not know what I was asking, but I asked again and this time she was smart and said, “It is obsessive and compulsive, and umm, a disorder.” This next time I asked an older girl who is 15 years old. Her response was, “Isn’t that when you do weird stuff all the time?” I asked for an example. “Like when you never want to step on a crack because then you think that it will really break your mom’s back.” I was wondering what else do people really know about this subject. I asked my friend who is 18 years old if she knew what OCD is; all she said was that she really had no idea. I asked if that was all and she responded with a “Yes.” I thought that she would be more curious, but to my disappointment, she was not. This led me to believe that many people may not be educated on this subject and I think that OCD is a big deal, since it affects many of us, so it is important to inform people.
To first understand this mental disease the name has to be dissected. Obsessive means “to have an obsession—to be preoccupied with a fixed idea” (Dictionary.com). For example, you may have an obsession with rocks; you are constantly thinking about rocks or any subject relating to rocks. Compulsive means “to be conditioned by compulsion which means to impulsively act without pre-thought or whether or not it is rational to act in that manner” (Dictionary.com). For example, when you see an elder woman being attacked and robbed, you can feel the compulsion to help defend her against her attacker despite the consequences. Disorder means “to have a defect on the functions of the mind or body” (Dictionary.com). For example, anorexia is an eating disorder because you are not eating as normally should. The basics of OCD is simple, just piece the definitions of the words together—the normal mental functions of a person is disturbed by “reoccurring obsessive thought and/or compulsive actions” (Long 4). This definition may hit on a more personal level to you because everyone has at least some small characteristics that pertain to having OCD. The difference between a person who is suffering from OCD and a person who is not is that instead of just having superstitions and thoughts aggressively interfere with their lives day by day. Although the actions of people with OCD may seem controlled by that person, that is far from the truth. It is no fault of their own that they are performing or thinking such thoughts. OCD does not discriminate; therefore anyone of any race, culture, or economic status is bale to be diagnosed with this mental disorder. Six million people are diagnosed with OCD, but maybe only 10 percent of the actual amount of people suffering from this disease. That is because many people cannot recognize that they are affected. There are ways to self-assess if one has OCD or not.
According to Rob Long, who wrote a short booklet called Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, there are four elements that are key to identifying whether or not someone is suffering from this disease. These aspects are then rated and the results are used to help assess the problem. First and foremost, the actual problematic habit must be identified. Then, determine the amount of time that this disturbing thought or ritual is taking up within one day. If the thought or rituals occur constantly, meaning the majority of the day, then that is a possible sign of OCD. After that, determine how much the problem interferes with daily life. This may be another sign that OCD is to the amount of the extreme. Also, figure out how much discomfort of distress this problem is causing. If the discomfort is constant or very high, then it is also another sign of OCD. Lastly, when resisting these thoughts or habits, how much effort is needed? The more effort needed, the more likely it is that OCD is present.
Per Hove Thomsen included many examples in this book, From Thoughts to Obsession. One case that showed a very extreme version of OCD was in a boy who was 15 years old. His fear of dirt and infections gradually evolved into a compulsive behavior. His fears went from contracting AIDS to contagious illness. His behavior was abnormal compared to other kids’. To keep clean, he would avoid everywhere else possible. Some habits were the spitting and clearing of his throat so that he would get rid of the germs he thought were residing inside his mouth and he thought that he was able to catch an illness from breathing. As the years progressed, he developed a particularly odd thought. He thought that his “glance was dirty” (Thomsen), so because of that, he considered everything he looked at to be dirty because of his glance. You can see now how a simple thing such as a thought can influence a person’s life so greatly.
Identifying the problem is fairly simple, but what is the actual cause of OCD? This question is a little bit more difficult because scientist do not know for sure what is the exact cause of OCD, although they might have an idea. In the book, Kissing Doorknobs, Doctor A.J. Allen explained that it is possible that it is caused by a problem with the brain (neurobiological illness). What is though to happen is that there is a malfunction of connection with the front part of the brain called orbital cortex and the deeper part of the brain called basal ganglia (“About OCD”). It is believed that the amount of a chemical messenger called serotonin is less in people with OCD, and that when medicines that increases serotonin are taken by suffers, their OCD symptoms improve. The low amount of serotonin can mean that information of behavior and thought-control traveling through the brain is flawed (Thomsen 88). New findings have recently shown us that OCD may be a hereditary trait. The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has discovered a gene that controls a molecule called serotonin transporter (Talan). In people with OCD, it is found that there is a high number of serotonin, which means an over-stimulation of serotonin transporters. The large volume of serotonin transporters move the serotonin around quickly therefore overpopulating its workload and leaving the brain with little serotonin. Genes are passed down from parent to offspring; that is the proof that is given to say that OCD is an inheritable trait.
In the case of Morgan, she is living with OCD and has a fear of her mother dying, although her mother is very much alive. She has been living with this obsession for quite some time and is determined to overcome this disorder with lots of patience and confidence. Living everyday with a fear of your own mother dying is a heartbreaking and emotionally draining event in a child’s life. Morgan is sick and tired of performing everyday rituals that she thinks will help prevent her mother from dying. Several of her rituals include having to turn on the light on with flicking the light switch upwards; the light cannot be turned on with flicking the light switch downward or she has to go to the other light switch to turn it on correctly. In her bathroom, she must have her hygienic products in a certain order. If they are out of place, she has to move them into their position or she will not able to go on to her next activity. Morgan has found a treatment that is fit for her. She undergoes therapy with her therapist and has to face her own worst fears. “A part of Morgan’s treatment is to face her fears, so she painfully watches blood being withdrawn from her mother’s arm. (Figure 1)” Morgan also had to attend a “pretend” funeral of her mother. This was suggested by her therapist in helping with her cope with her fear/obsession and that even with her mother “dead”, she will still be able to live and function normally. After all of Morgan’s treatment, she has yet to perform a ritual since. With her determination, patience, and confidence, Morgan was able to overcome this haunting disorder that was overtaking her life.
In the case of Jessica, she said she had developed OCD by a bad relationship. She is moody and is known for having a bad attitude at times. Jessica has many repetitive rituals she needs to perform as some rituals for her family to perform as well. In a clip of the documentary, there is a scene where Jessica and her family are having dinner. Her mother places a side dish on Jessica’s plate and sets it down. Her mother then pours some water into Jessica’s glass. After putting down the pitcher of water, Jessica needs her mother to touch the pitcher of water. After her mother refuses, Jessica throws a fit and blames her mother for not helping her with her OCD. Jessica has had previous treatments but they just did not seem to work on her. Some of her treatments include assignments of writing one page of her fears over and over again, having therapy session with her therapist, and continuing her visits to her doctor. Jessica frustrated with the disorder itself, her family “not helping” her cope with her OCD, and herself, about three weeks into her treatment, she quickly decided to not complete of the tasks of her treatment. After failing to overcome OCD, about a month later, Jessica decides to give the treatment another try. Jessica was starting college in the fall and did not want this disorder to affect her college life. She uses the same doctor and assignments, but this time, she decides to complete her assignments with a positive attitude and extra effort. When returning to the assignment about writing one full page of your fears over and over again, Jessica surpassed the requirements and had done two pages instead of one. Jessica continued to have sessions with her therapist and visiting her doctor. After completing her treatment, it was time for Jessica to start college. After just one semester of college, Jessica is ritual-free.
The exact cause of OCD is not known, but there are several ways to treat it. Since the origin of the problem is the brain, that it the first place where we would go to try and correct what is wrong. Since it is agreed that serotonin is the chemical that can cause you to have OCD, the medications that are offered to aid in normalcy of serotonin is the medicine of choice by scientists and doctors. This medication can minimize and possible eliminate obsessive thoughts. These remedies are also called antidepressants. Some common antidepressants are Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac. As with all other prescription medication, the anticipation of a side effect is mandatory. According to Per Hove Thomsen, some frequent side effects of these medicines are dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, and, insomnia. Luckily there are no known long term side effects, but is a patient experiences these kinds of side effects, and then it is reasonable to stop that certain medication for that person. Not all antidepressants work to treat OCD. The pharmaceutical substances that should be expected to help the patients must be working the specific brain area, that is the orbital cortex, basal ganglia, and the medication must help correct the amount of serotonin in those areas. Visit certified psychiatrists to be able to obtain these medications. Psychiatrists can help in identifying your problem, and if necessary, prescribe a medicine that will work well with the OCD that you have. Another type of treatment is Psychological treatments. Different therapies are use to time the sufferer’s acts. One type of therapy is called behavior therapy. Behavior therapy helps weaken how you habitually react to troublesome situations (Bush). An example would be in the form of exposure and response prevention (ERP). In this therapy, the patients is told to directly challenge the compulsion; making the sufferer very uncomfortable. It is very hard, but after about an hour the anxiety will eventually fade away (Hesser). Done repeatedly, that person will start to feel as though they can control their own thoughts instead of letting their thought control them. A second type of therapy is cognitive behavior therapy. John Bush explains that is therapy helps control “thinking patterns that cause your symptoms”. A third type of therapy is a combination of both behavior and cognitive therapies, and this is rightly named Cognitive-Behavioral therapy. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy needs a therapist whom is dedicated and active, but the therapist is only there as a support system, so the patient has to be disciplined and willing to correct his problem as well. This therapy requires a lot of work that needs to be done outside of the doctor’s office. The home environments create a location in which compulsive reactions are a sure exposure. The person must fight to gain control of his/her thoughts.
The Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorder recommends a three-week program that can help you recover from OCD. This method uses only psychological techniques. When controlling your compulsive behavior, there are four steps to keep in mind. First, recognize the intrusive thoughts. Then, remember that what you are feeling is no fault of your own and that the anxiety is cause by the OCD. After that, focus on another subject for a few minutes to go around the obsessive-compulsive thoughts. Finally, realize that OCD is not that important and that you are able to defeat it. In the three weeks that this program takes, you will be diagnosed, treated, and learn how to prevent relapse in the future. In a study conducted by Adkins et al (2005), children respond well to intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy. These sessions are 90 minutes long and are held everyday for three weeks. This method is used when the children do not respond well to “conventional medication and psychotherapy protocols.” A case study of this study also used the four steps above as a guide to treatment.
Medicinal treatments are only used by itself when behavioral therapy cannot be obtained. The only consideration to take when going through a medicinal treatment is to be sure that the medicine contains serotonin uptake inhibitors. A study by Jonathan Abramowitz found that there is not much of a difference when comparing results of people who have only used psychological treatment and people who are only using medicinal treatments.
Next time you are walking down the street and see a bum trying to sell you his boot, or walk into a man sitting in a café seemingly talking to himself and making repetitive hand motions, do not just judge them and think that they are “weird”, but think about their situation. Perhaps it is not the fault of that individual, but the fault of a more serious thought, OCD. With such a wide range of different varieties of OCD out there, mild to extreme, simple to complex, there will be many cases containing many unheard stories of struggles and obstacles each case has to face. Every single person who is suffering form OCD has the capacity of overcoming OCD, it is that without patience, an amplitude of fear, and lack of confidence, is what keeps you from succeeding the disorder known as OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a haunting and exhausting nuisance for some, but can, in time and confidence, be conquered.
Works Cited
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