Jocelyn Dominguez Psychology Period 1

 Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions).  Often the person carries out the behaviors to get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only provides temporary relief. Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety.  Basically obsessive compulsive disorder repeat certain behaviors or thought again and again.

 Its like saying we all have habits and routines in our daily lives, for example brushing our teeth in the morning everyday.  For people with OCD, patterns of behavior get in the way of their daily lives.

 Obsessions are ideas, images and impulses that run through the person's mind over and over again.  Fear of dirt or germs  Disgust with bodily waste or fluids  Concern with order, symmetry (balance) and exactness  Worry that a task has been done poorly, even when the person knows this is not true  Fear of thinking evil or sinful thoughts  Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers all the time  Need for constant reassurance  Fear of harming a family member or friend

 Obsessive thoughts make people who have OCD feel nervous and afraid. They try to get rid of these feelings by performing certain behaviors according to "rules" that they make up for themselves.  An example, a person who has OCD may have obsessive thoughts about germs. Because of these thoughts, the person may wash his or her hands over and over. Performing these behaviors usually only makes the nervous feelings go away for a short time. When the fear and nervousness return, the person who has OCD repeats the routine all over again.

 Cleaning and grooming, such as washing hands, showering or brushing teeth over and over again  Checking drawers, door locks and appliances to be sure they are shut, locked or turned off  Repeating actions, such as going in and out of a door, sitting down and getting up from a chair, or touching certain objects several times  Ordering and arranging items in certain ways  Counting to a certain number, over and over  Saving newspapers, mail or containers when they are no longer needed  Seeking constant reassurance and approval

 No one has found anything that can cause OCD. Some research shows that it may have to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One of these chemicals, called serotonin, helps to keep people from repeating the same behaviors over and over again. A person who has OCD may not have enough serotonin. Many people who have OCD can function better when they take medicines that increase the amount of serotonin in their brain.  Serotonin: is a compound that occurs in the brain

 For years, OCD was rare. Some recent studies show that as many as 3 million Americans ages 18 to 54 may have OCD at any one time. This is about 2.3% of the people in this age group. OCD affects men and women equally.

 There is help for people with OCD, got o the doctor and talk about symptoms. Then most of the times doctors will send you to a mental health specialist. behavior therapy is specially useful for treating OCD. A behavior therapist teaches a person different ways of thinking behaving and reacting to situations that help them feel less anxious and fearful without having obsessive thoughts or acting compulsively.

 Another treatment is that doctors may prescribe medication to help treat OCD. Its important to know that some of these medicines may take several weeks to start working. Some kinds of medicines used to treat OCD are antidepressants and anti- anxiety medicines. Some of theses medications are are used to treat other problems like depression.

 The average age of onset for OCD varies among men and women. Men may experience childhood onset, between ages 6 and 15, while women typically experience adult onset between ages 20 and 30. two thirds of all adults with OCD have symptoms before age 15, 80% of whom also had symptoms of depression. Given the likelihood of early onset, it is alarming that the average age that a person seeks treatment is 27.

 How do you think family, friends, and even pet suffer when living with someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder?

 Vorvick, Linda. (February 11, 2011). Pumed health. Retrieved from  [ (May 19,2010). Kids health. Retrieved from [ Dryden, roxane. (May 4,2011).medicine net. Retrieved from [