Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Briana PayanPeriod 3

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsession: Are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate that cause marked anxiety or distress

Compulsive: Are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that have an inability to express positive emotions.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An anxiety in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something.

Associated Features Common behavior is repetition of a specific behavior.

Washing and cleaning Counting Putting items in order Checking or requesting assurance

Mental rituals that include counting up to the number 15 when an unwanted thought comes up.

There are four different dimensions that are associated with OCD. Obsession with checking compulsions Things to symmetrical and be in order Obsession with cleanliness and washing Hoarding behavior

Associated Features Cont.

DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for 300.3 A. Either obsessions or compulsions:

1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress.

2. The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-lifetime problems

3. The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action

4. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)

Compulsions as defined by 1 and 21. Repetitive behaviors( e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying,

counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly

2. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

DSM-IV-TR B. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing some dreaded

event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

C. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

D. If another axis I disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (e.g., preoccupation with drugs in the presence of a substance abuse disorder).

E. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiologic effects of a substance (e.g., drug abuse, a medication)

or a general medical condition.

Etiology There is not a exact cause for having Obsessive-Compulsive

Disorder (OCD)

Doctors believe chemical imbalances might have to do with the disorder

It is possible that the disorder is genetic

Other might develop OCD because of stress, abused as a child that lead into adulthood, and life changing experience.

OCD also has ties with mood disorders anxiety disorders, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Prevalence• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has a lifetime

rate of 2%

• About ⅓ of people with OCD also have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

• Males tend to develop OCD between the ages of 6 and 15

• Females tend to develop OCD between the ages of 20 and 29

TreatmentPsychological Treatment Re-label: Retrain yourself Reattribute: Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought

are the result Refocus: Change your mind from the thoughts, distract yourself to keep

your mind off your disorder Revalue: Tell yourself its just your obsessive-compulsive disorder

Group Therapy/ Family Therapy

Medication Fluoxetine (Prozac) Sertraline (zoloft)

Prognosis The outcome of OCD are:

Last a lifetime, but with time it can be controlled.

Advances in therapy and medicines.

Behavior therapy alters brain metabolism, it is expected to reduce OCD by 50-80%

If under a lot of stress, OCD tends to worsen.

Examples of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsession/Compulsion

Samples Items

Aggressive Obsessions Fear might harm self, fear of being responsible for something bad happening or blurting out obscenities

Contamination Obsessions Concern/disgust with body waste, bothered by sticky substance.

Sexual Obsessions Forbidden sexual thoughts, images, or impulses. Sexual behaviors towards others (aggressive)

Hoarding obsessions Distinguish from hobbies and concern with objects that contain sentimental value

Religious Obsessions Excessive concern with right and wrong, morality

Obsessions with symmetry or exactness

Concern that other will have an accident unless things are not in the right place.

Miscellaneous Obsessions Fear of saying certain things, Lucky/Unlucky numbers, Superstitious fears

Somatic Obsessions Concern with illness or diseases, excessive concern with appearance.

Cleaning/ washing compulsions

Ritualized or excessive hand-washing, showering, bathing, tooth brushing, grooming

Checking Compulsions Checking locks, stove, appliances did not making a mistake before completing a task

Hoarding/collecting Compulsions

Distinguished from hobbies and concern with objects of monetary or sentimental value (e.g., carefully reads junk mail, sorts through garbage)

Miscellaneous Compulsions Excessive list making, need to tell, ask or confess, need to touch, tap or rub, rituals involving blinking and staring.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involve other psychological perspectives?

References Halgin,R.P. & Whitbourne, S.K.(2005). Abnormal psychology: Clinical

perspectives on psychological disorders.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Myers, D.G.(2011). Myers’ psychology for ap. New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Relayhealth.(October 2010).Obessive-compulsive disorder (ocd). http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=36255505&site=src-live