Key Topics
An essay on particular mental illness explaining the causes,symptoms and treatments for that illness with commentary.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Introduction
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as the disorders of arbitrary thoughts and fears which lead to repetitive behavior or compulsions. People suffering from OCD can have only an obsessions or compulsions. Out of the total people suffering from OCD, one-third of these people have disorders which include sudden, brief, sporadic movement or sounds, etc. Thus, in short OCD is a disorder of brain and behavior that is responsible for severe anxiety and occurs in about 2-3% of the population. The most kind of obsessions is found to be related to cleanliness of dirt or the germs. (Herbenson, 2009)
Obsessions can be defined as the recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are beyond the patient’s control whereas the compulsions can be defined as the acts that are repeatedly performed to mitigate the obsessions and usually follow rigid guidelines. The primary cause of the OCD is currently unknown, but the studies find it to be a genetic basis where the nature of this disorder defined to be neurobiological.
Obsessions can be defined as the recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are beyond the patient’s control whereas the compulsions can be defined as the acts that are repeatedly performed to mitigate the obsessions and usually follow rigid guidelines. The primary cause of the OCD is currently unknown, but the studies find it to be a genetic basis where the nature of this disorder defined to be neurobiological.
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The real causes of OCD are unknown, but some of the studies have considered biological and environmental factors as some of the reasons:
Biological Factors:
The human brain is a complex structure containing numerous nerve cells called the neurons which are responsible for communicating and working together of the body for its proper function. These neurons use chemicals known as neurotransmitters which are responsible for the stimulation of flow of information from nerve cell to another nerve cell. The scientist believes that the primary problem of developing an OCD arises from the pathway which accountable for linking the areas that deal with judgment as well as planning for some other area. (Bhandari, 2016)
The biological causes focus on circuits of the brain regulating the behavioral characteristics like aggression, sexuality, etc. This circuit transmits the data from front part of the brain to the deeper part of the brain. On activation of the circuits, these impulses cause people to perform singular and odd behavior addressing to that impulse. (Ocduk.org, n.d.)
The biological causes focus on circuits of the brain regulating the behavioral characteristics like aggression, sexuality, etc. This circuit transmits the data from front part of the brain to the deeper part of the brain. On activation of the circuits, these impulses cause people to perform singular and odd behavior addressing to that impulse. (Ocduk.org, n.d.)
Environmental Factors
There is presence of environmental stressors responsible for triggering of OCD in people who are diagnosed with this illness. Various environmental factors that contribute to this illness and make it worse are (Bhandari, 2016):
• Abuse
• Alteration in the living condition
• Illness
• Losing a loved one
• School or work place related problems
• Relationship problems
• Symptoms
The symptoms of OCD vary from the obsessions to the compulsions. The symptoms of both can be categorized into respective types. (Staff, 2013)
Symptoms of Obsessions:
The person suffering from OCD might try to avoid the obsessions and compulsions, but these obsessions interrupt that person. Obsessions might include themes like:
? Fear of dirt
? Having the things in symmetrical order
? Aggressive thought for some person
? Unwanted thoughts on various subjects
The examples of obsessions symptoms might be the fear of shaking hands with other to prevent from contamination from germs, doubts on switching off the lights or locking the door, severe stress when things are not kept in their original manner, etc.
• Abuse
• Alteration in the living condition
• Illness
• Losing a loved one
• School or work place related problems
• Relationship problems
• Symptoms
The symptoms of OCD vary from the obsessions to the compulsions. The symptoms of both can be categorized into respective types. (Staff, 2013)
Symptoms of Obsessions:
The person suffering from OCD might try to avoid the obsessions and compulsions, but these obsessions interrupt that person. Obsessions might include themes like:
? Fear of dirt
? Having the things in symmetrical order
? Aggressive thought for some person
? Unwanted thoughts on various subjects
The examples of obsessions symptoms might be the fear of shaking hands with other to prevent from contamination from germs, doubts on switching off the lights or locking the door, severe stress when things are not kept in their original manner, etc.
Symptoms of Compulsions:
Common compulsions in OCD include:
? Bathing, showering and washing hands on a regular basis
? Refusing shaking of hands;
? While performing a task, person counts either mentally or aloud
? Arranging things accordingly
? Constantly stuck in words, thoughts etc. that intrude with the sleep
? Repeating any words or prayers, hymns.
? Collection of unnecessary items
? Bathing, showering and washing hands on a regular basis
? Refusing shaking of hands;
? While performing a task, person counts either mentally or aloud
? Arranging things accordingly
? Constantly stuck in words, thoughts etc. that intrude with the sleep
? Repeating any words or prayers, hymns.
? Collection of unnecessary items
Treatments
The two possible methods of treatments for OCD are psychotherapy and medication. (Abramowitz and Schwartz, 2003)
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT)
Further another treatment called the Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) for OCD. This is beneficial for internalizing a strategy for resisting OCD for entire life. This behavioral therapy helps the people to change the way they feel and think and thus changes their behavior. For OCD, this therapy primarily includes the route of exposure and response prevention (E/RP). The exposure route helps to lower down the anxiety after knowing their fears. On repeatedly being exposed the anxiety decreases and help in going from the fear. Further, the response prevention i.e. RP is used by combining with the exposure. In RP, the regular rituals of the person are blocked and thus eliminates the compulsions. The advantage of CBT is that it is free of the side-effects, but some patients complain of the development of some anxiety in them.
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT)
Further another treatment called the Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) for OCD. This is beneficial for internalizing a strategy for resisting OCD for entire life. This behavioral therapy helps the people to change the way they feel and think and thus changes their behavior. For OCD, this therapy primarily includes the route of exposure and response prevention (E/RP). The exposure route helps to lower down the anxiety after knowing their fears. On repeatedly being exposed the anxiety decreases and help in going from the fear. Further, the response prevention i.e. RP is used by combining with the exposure. In RP, the regular rituals of the person are blocked and thus eliminates the compulsions. The advantage of CBT is that it is free of the side-effects, but some patients complain of the development of some anxiety in them.
Medication
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SRIs are found to be efficient in the treatment of OCD. This medication helps to increase the concentration of serotonin in the human brain. The most commonly used SRIs for the medication treatments are clomipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline. But clomipramine has some side effects related to it as it affects other types of neurotransmitters as well. Because of this reason, other SRIs are used first. These treatments show improvements within 8-10 weeks of the medication process. But only 20% of the patients who opted for medication could be treated with no further OCD symptoms. Thus, the scientist has reported that CBT in comparison with SRI would be the best therapy for OCD.
Conclusion
OCD is a disorder or mental illness that is found to be more debilitating than one thinks. On developing this disorder the person becomes obsessed with something. This further complicated their life and their relationship. It has been found that the causes of OCD are due to abnormalities or imbalance in mind. The treatments available are medication and CBT. The most important thing regarding OCD is that it should be diagnosed as soon as possible and should be treated early so as to help the patients and to end their suffering.
Commentary
The text of this essay is informative and helps to explain the chosen mental illness i.e. the OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in a conceptual manner. The standard of writing is acceptable, and the concepts are explained without any glaring factual error. The essay has fulfilled all the requirements by mentioning the causes, symptoms and treatment methods for the mental illness selected. It also covers the important factors regarding OCD and explains the problem thoroughly. The clarification of the difference between the obsessions as well as the compulsions has been informative in providing the insights to the concept. Further, it explains the obsessions and compulsions along with various examples. The causes of OCD are unknown, and thus, the findings have not been very informational although some researches have proved that the problem might be linked to some genetic disorder. (Whiteman, 2014) This informational piece regarding OCD has not been explained thoroughly.
Although the biological, as well as the environmental factors, can be useful to understand the concept and its causes. Further, the symptom of obsessions and compulsions drew the attention towards them as most of the symptoms were same for obsession as well compulsions, therefore creating a minute confusion for the reader. The writer could have presented the cases in a more factual manner by mentioning the figures as to which symptoms were seen to be maximum in the patients suffering from OCD. (per health, n.d.)
The essay does not elaborate on the SSRIs and simply explains the SRIs in a brief manner. Further, the writer has simply specified a statement that clomipramine has some side effects related to it as it affects other types of neurotransmitters as well. Further, the treatment of mild, intermediate and sever OCD has not been included in the essay and thus these critical points needs to be mentioned in the essay.(Swinson, 1998)
The writer could have mentioned critical information and could have included some scientific data by giving facts and numbers. Further inclusion of some better pharmacotherapeutic treatment options could have strengthened the essay.
In the nutshell, although the essay is informative in a various way the inclusion of the detailed study of SSRIs, better pharmacotherapeutic treatment options along with scientific data and numbers would have proved crucial for increasing the knowledge of the readers.
Although the biological, as well as the environmental factors, can be useful to understand the concept and its causes. Further, the symptom of obsessions and compulsions drew the attention towards them as most of the symptoms were same for obsession as well compulsions, therefore creating a minute confusion for the reader. The writer could have presented the cases in a more factual manner by mentioning the figures as to which symptoms were seen to be maximum in the patients suffering from OCD. (per health, n.d.)
The essay does not elaborate on the SSRIs and simply explains the SRIs in a brief manner. Further, the writer has simply specified a statement that clomipramine has some side effects related to it as it affects other types of neurotransmitters as well. Further, the treatment of mild, intermediate and sever OCD has not been included in the essay and thus these critical points needs to be mentioned in the essay.(Swinson, 1998)
The writer could have mentioned critical information and could have included some scientific data by giving facts and numbers. Further inclusion of some better pharmacotherapeutic treatment options could have strengthened the essay.
In the nutshell, although the essay is informative in a various way the inclusion of the detailed study of SSRIs, better pharmacotherapeutic treatment options along with scientific data and numbers would have proved crucial for increasing the knowledge of the readers.
References:
Whiteman, H. (2014). Researchers discover genetic marker linked to OCD. [online] medical news today. Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/276760.php [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].
pdrhealth, (n.d.). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms - Diseases and Conditions - PDR Health. [online] Available at: http://www.pdrhealth.com/diseases/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symptoms [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].1. Herbenson, K. (2009). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Overview for School Personnel. 1st ed. [ebook] Menomonie: The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout, p.1. Available at: http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2009/2009herbensonk.pdf [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].2. Bhandari,, S. (2016). An Overview of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). [online] WebMD. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].3. Ocduk.org, (n.d.). What causes OCD?. [online] Available at: http://www.ocduk.org/what-causes-ocd [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].4. Staff, C. (2013). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Symptoms - Mayo Clinic. [online] Mayoclinic.org. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ocd/basics/symptoms/con-20027827 [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].5. Abramowitz, J. and Schwartz, S. (2003). Treatments for Obsessive?Compulsive Disorder: Deciding What Method for Whom. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 3(2), pp.261-274.
pdrhealth, (n.d.). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms - Diseases and Conditions - PDR Health. [online] Available at: http://www.pdrhealth.com/diseases/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symptoms [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].1. Herbenson, K. (2009). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Overview for School Personnel. 1st ed. [ebook] Menomonie: The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout, p.1. Available at: http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2009/2009herbensonk.pdf [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].2. Bhandari,, S. (2016). An Overview of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). [online] WebMD. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].3. Ocduk.org, (n.d.). What causes OCD?. [online] Available at: http://www.ocduk.org/what-causes-ocd [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].4. Staff, C. (2013). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Symptoms - Mayo Clinic. [online] Mayoclinic.org. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ocd/basics/symptoms/con-20027827 [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].5. Abramowitz, J. and Schwartz, S. (2003). Treatments for Obsessive?Compulsive Disorder: Deciding What Method for Whom. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 3(2), pp.261-274.
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