What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?- Types, Diagnosis, Treatment

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What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a type of mental health condition in which a person may have frequent, unwanted sensations and thoughts, known as obsessions, that can cause the person to do repetitive behaviors, known as compulsions. 

These obsessions and compulsions can impact the daily life and activities of an individual and could lead to a lot of distress.

OCD is generally a life-long condition, in which the symptoms can appear and disappear over time.

In this article, we will be discussing obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• What are the types of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
• What are the causes of OCD?
• What are the risk factors for obsessive-compulsive disorder?
• What are the symptoms of OCD?
• How to diagnose OCD?
• What is the treatment for OCD ?
• What are the complications of OCD?
• How to prevent OCD?

What are the types of OCD ?

Obsessive-compulsive disorders can be of different types, such as:

• Checking something repeatedly for any problems.
• Continuous and overwhelming need to clean or wash objects due to fear of contamination.
• Inability to throw away useless or used things.
• Inability to prevent unwanted, repetitious thoughts like harming others or suicide.
• Arranging and rearranging things in a certain order and symmetry.
• Postpartum OCD is related to thoughts and behaviors about the baby, like excessive sanitization of the baby’s things or constant fear that something bad will happen to the baby.
• Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (OCD seen soon after a child is affected with an infection like scarlet fever or strep throat due to group A streptococcus bacteria)

What are the causes of OCD ?

The exact cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder is not understood completely. 

The following are thought to be the possible causes:

• Genetics
• Changes in the natural chemistry or brain function of the body
• Watching and learning from family members or learning it over time

What are the risk factors of OCD ?

Certain factors may increase the risk of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder. These factors are:

• Family history 
• Mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, substance abuse ( Know more about- What is Depression ? )
• Stressful or traumatic life events
• Physical differences in certain portions of the brain
• History of sexual or physical abuse as a child

What are the symptoms of OCD ?

Obsessive-compulsive disorders could include obsessions, compulsions, or both. The symptoms associated with the condition are:

Obsession symptoms 

These are unwanted urges, thoughts, or mental images that may occur over and over again. It could include the following:

• Fear of contamination or germs
• Fear of misplacing or losing something 
• Worrying about harm to yourself or others
• Aggressive thoughts towards others or yourself
• Forbidden, unwanted thoughts involving religion or sex
• Urge to get things lined up or arranged in a precise or particular way

Compulsion symptoms 

These are behaviors that a person feels like doing over and over again to stop obsessive thoughts or decrease anxiety. The symptoms could include the following:

• Excessive hand-washing 
• Excessive cleaning
• Compulsive counting
• Repeatedly checking on things, for example, if the gas is off or the door is locked
• Arranging and ordering things in a precise or particular way

Some people having obsessive-compulsive disorder may have Tourette syndrome or other type of psychotic disorder. Tics are the sudden movements, twitches, or sounds that people do over and over again. People having tics are unable to stop their body from doing such things.

How to diagnose OCD ?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be diagnosed in the following ways:

• Physical exam and blood tests: The doctor will examine you physically and recommend a few blood tests to ensure that no medical condition is causing the symptoms. The doctor will also talk to you about your thoughts, feelings, and habits.
• OCD test: The doctor will ask you questions about whether you want to do or think about certain things that are commonly associated with OCD and the extent to which these things bother you. The doctor could also speak to your friends and family.

Diagnostic criteria for OCD 

Having OCD usually means:

• Having obsessions, compulsions, or both that cannot be controlled.
• A person may feel forced to carry out a compulsive behavior due to a particular obsession, and it could provide temporary relief from the stress of an obsession.
• Obsessions and compulsions tend to take up a minimum of one hour a day of an individual.
• Symptoms of obsession and compulsion start interfering with work, social life, or other aspects of daily life.
• There is no other physical or psychological explanation for the symptoms.

What is the treatment for OCD ?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder does not have any particular cure. But the symptoms associated with the condition can be managed in the following ways:

Psychotherapy: Also known as talk therapy, it involves different treatment techniques that help identify and change unhealthy thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. A psychologist can help in this therapy and it could include the following different forms of treatment:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): The therapist will help examine and understand your emotions and thoughts over several treatment sessions. It can help change harmful thoughts and stop negative actions, as well as replacing them with healthier coping methods.
• Exposure and response prevention: It is a type of CBT in which the therapist exposes you to your feared images or situations and will resist you from the urge to perform your compulsive action.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy: This therapy helps you to learn to accept the obsessive thoughts as just thoughts and not reality.

Mindfulness techniques like relaxation and meditation can also help improve symptoms of OCD. ( Know more about- What is Psychotherapy ? )

Medications: Antidepressant medicines like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), selective SRIs (SSRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants can help in the treatment of OCD. Some common medications that can be recommended include:

• Fluoxetine
• Paroxetine
• Sertraline
• Fluvoxamine

It could take up to eight to twelve weeks before these medicines start working.

Other OCD treatments: Some other treatments that could be recommended for OCD include:

• Neuromodulation: When psychotherapy and medications don’t work in the treatment of OCD, certain devices may be used to change the electricity activity in a certain portion of the brain. For example, 

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses magnetic fields for stimulation of nerve cells. 
• Another complicated procedure, known as deep brain stimulation, uses electrodes that are implanted in the head.

• Surgery: Brain surgery could be an option for people with debilitating OCD symptoms. The brain cells in the brain regions linked to OCD are destroyed by a surgical procedure.

What are the complications of OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder could lead to complications like:

• Poor quality of life
• Trouble in relationships
• Suicidal thoughts and behavior
• Wasting excess time on obsessive and compulsive behaviors
• Health problems, like contact dermatitis from excessive hand-washing
• Difficulty in going to school or work, or taking part in daily social activities 

How to prevent obsessive-compulsive disorder?

There is no absolute way to prevent the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, getting treatment early can prevent the condition from getting worse and affecting the daily activities of a person.

We hope that we were able to answer all your questions regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder through this article.

If you want more information about obsessive-compulsive disorder, you can contact a good psychologist.

We only aim to give you information through the article and do not recommend any medication or treatment in any way. Only a qualified doctor can give you the best advice. Get the best treatments done at the best hospitals in Bangalore like Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road Bangalore.