Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

One of the mental disorders that human beings face is the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This disorder is characterized by compulsions and obsessions (National Collaboration Center for Mental Health (NCCHH) 24). Obsessions refer to unwanted image or urge or intrusive thoughts that repeatedly enters in the mind of a person. Even though they are distress, they are acknowledged as coming from or originating from the mind of an individual and are not imposed by an external factor or agency (Jennifer, and Hollander 338). On the other hand, compulsions refers to mental acts or repetitive behaviours that an individual feels drive to do or perform (NCCHH) 24). Compulsions are either observable by other people or avert. Example of an observable behavior is checking whether the door is closed for several times while an example of an overt behavior is repetition of a certain phrase or though in one’s mind. Example of common obsessions that are related with OCD include behaviors such as fear of harm such as claiming that door locks are unsafe, sexual thoughts, excessive concerns with order, violence or aggression thoughts among many others. While compulsion behaviors related with OCD includes cleaning, washing, repetition of acts, counting, mental compulsions, ordering, checking among many others (Elizabeth, Abramowitz, Whiteside, and Deacon 1071). Like any other mental disorder, OCD is a disorder that requires attention for it to be managed. The paper delineates on the causes and the possible treatment of the OCD.

Social and physical consequences

The effects of the disorder differ from one individual to another. Some individuals may be able to hide their obsessive-compulsive Disorders from their family for the perceived fear of seclusion. Nevertheless, the effects of the disorder may affect negatively the social relationships leading to family conflicts and even dissatisfaction in marital life. Other consequence that may come with the disorder especially among the adults is separation and lower rates of marriages amongst those suffering from the disorder. Furthermore, it also interferes with leisure and entertainment activities and even the ability of a person to constructively engage in work and studies. According to NCCHH, the social costs associated with the disorder were estimated at$5.9bilion in 1990 (25). This is one of the disorders that contribute a lot to the loss of income and poor quality of life’s among people in the society. Therefore, it is true that this is a disorder that requires great attention and solutions.

OCD sufferer

The disorder cuts across all individuals regardless of their age. Children adolescents and adults have equal chances of suffering from the disease. However, adults suffering from the disorder usually report their first experience while still young. The treatment administered to the sufferers is same regardless of the age of a person. Therefore, the disease should be given enough attention in all ages as it has no limits to whom it affects.

According to NCCHH, the causes of OCD are not sufficiently known like other mental disorders (29). However, increasing research is being conducted and so far the results has tended to link biological factors to be one of the causes of the disorder. The disorder is however responsive to drug treatment and psychological intervention.

In studies carried out on genetics, it was found that an individual suffering from this disorder is 4 times more likely to be having another family member that is suffering from the same disorder (NCCHH 44). This demonstrates that indeed there is connection of the disorder with biological factors.

Family factors may also contribute to the disorders (Tumkaya, Karadag, and Oguzhanoglu 192). Disruptions can cause stress in individuals hence increasing the disorder. Furthermore, parental, over protectiveness, children experiences are also linked to the emergent of the disorder. However, there is no sufficient reasons that associates such factors to the causes of the disorder and therefore not proved.

Socio-cultural factors vary from one society to another. Whether, these factors causes the disorder is yet to be known but they influence the behavior among those people suffering from the disorder. Without understanding specific social-cultural contexts, it is difficult to categorize certain behavior as excessive since OCD behaviors such as hygiene, blasphemy and sexuality varies across cultures (Julie, and Arnold137). There, certain behavior will be identified in a specific social cultural context in which the society views it as contravening to the extreme expected behaviors.

According to Anxiety Care UK, chemical and brain dysfunction is one of the causes of OCD (4) The fact that those individuals suffering from the disorder have brain dysfuntion it does not mean that these people have damaged brain or they have inferior reasoning functions as those without the disorder. The cause of the brain dysfunction is as a result of a chemical messenger by the name Serotonin. This chemical is known as neurotransmitter and it perform the function of necessitating or facilitating nerve cells to communicate with each other in ensuring that there is coordination between different components of the brain and the body in general. Researchers relate the chemical- serotonin with various biological process involving aggression, pain, appetite, mood, and sleep among many others. Furthermore, the chemical has the capability of coordinating or connecting different nerve cells in the brain hence responsible for different responses that are triggered by the brain. Furthermore, scans that have been carried out have related cases of OCD to abnormalities in the brain more specifically in the Thalamus and Basal Ganglia and in the orbital cortex- a section of the brain that lies above the eyes of an individual (NCCHH 55). Therefore, when these parts of the brain do not function well, they cause miscommunication and ends up confusing the way brain interprets messages. For instance, when the level of anxiety rises in the person suffering from OCZD, there is miscommunication that happens in the parts of the brain that are required to ensure correct communication. These parts of the brain are the Thalamus whose function is to process sensory images that are send to the brain from the other parts of the body, Caudate Nucleus which controls the brains and sorts and filters information (sensory)from the rest of the body and Cortex acts as the meeting point of the thoughts and emotions. Therefore, the coordination of these three ensures that there is proper communication and coordination (NCCHH) 55).

Genetics has also been cited as one of the causes of the disorder. However, a lot of reservations still stand out. Family members who have experienced the problem such as trichotillamonia like eyelashes, pulling out of scalp hair and many others may inherit the disorder form the lineage. However, no substantial research has proved this (Gerald, Grados, and Samuels 141). On genetics, studies have suggested that over 30%5of teenagers suffering from the diseases have members of their families that suffered from the same problem (NCCHH 34). Other have suggested that in situations where the disorder begun in adulthood, the chances of an offspring from such family contracting the disorder is minimal as opposed to when the disorder is discovered form childhood. Furthermore, other researchers have found out the chances of a parent suffering from the disorder to pass it on to children is between 2 and 8% (NCCHH 38). However, in circumstances that the child comes from a family with no history of people suffering from the disease then the chances of getting it will also decrease.

Infections of the throat can also result to OCD. Streptococcal infections affect the healthy cells in the body, which leads to damages in cellular cells in the body (Christine 105). If these infections attack the brain, it affects the nerve cells outside the Nasal Ganglia hence leading to symptoms of OCD. Such individuals will demonstrate characteristics or behaviors that resemble those suffering from the disorder although this may not last for very long period.

Depression is yet another cause of OCD among individuals. People who are depressed often exhibit symptoms of OCD. Therefore, managing depression and stress is important in dealing with the disorder.

Psychodynamics is also cited as the cause of OCD. This theory holds the view that the disrtubances that people undergo while children such as early sexual, unconscious wishes and general development contribute to the OCD (Amy, Calamari, Riemann, and Heffelfinger 181). On development, the conflict between reasoning part and thinking part of the brain and that part that needs to do things in its own leads to mental problems in the later life of such children.

Treatment of OCD

Various methods can be used in the treatment of OCD. One of the methods is pharmacological treatment where the sufferer is exposed to drugs that act as inhibitors of serotonin. Some of the drugs that are administered include tricyclic drug clomipramine that is most preferred because of its more powerful serotoneric actions and it slightly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) citalopram fluoxetine, paroxetine among many others. Drugs such as monoamine-oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants are ineffective in treatment of the disorder and should not be relied on.

OCD can also be treated through psychological intervention. The disorder can be treated by use of exposure and response prevention and use of cognitive therapy. These methods have different theoretical application but can be used as a single package. Even though, both exposure and response prevention and cognitive therapy are effective there is uncertain as to whether the combined methods provide an added advantage than the use of one (NCCHH 46) .

Like adults, children and young people can also be treated by adapting to drug treatments and psychological treatments. Even though, drugs are used among children, they have a long-term, impact on the immature brains of these children and therefore should be administered with cautions (Stefano, and Quercioli 400). It is advised that drugs should be administered together with psychological therapy. The drugs should also be administered gradually to avoid overreacting. Furthermore, parents of the children need to make a decision by first weighing between the benefits and disadvantages of the drugs before administering to their children.

The major psychological treatment that is recommended for children and teenagers is cognitive behavioral therapy. While administering this treatment, it is advisable to consider developmental change in cognitive and language development that happens as children grow up. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment method that has been approved by national Collaborating centre for mental health. The method originally was developed from the principles of experimental psychology and behavioral strategies. The treatment also incorporates interventions, which targets the beliefs and the ways in which the young people interpret different situations.

Parents should be involved in the treatment of the disorder among children(NCCHH 44). This is because, therapists require constant liaison with their schools and /or any other agency that is involved in issues with children. Another reason is that children with the symptoms of disorder may feel embarrassed hence become secretive by concealing their symptoms from being known to their families and parents. This therefore contributes to delay in administering of treatment hence leading to further complications.

In administering their treatment, health care professional should help in creating understanding among the sufferers on the nature of the symptoms (Dan 296). Most of people suffering from the disorder are always embarrassed and ashamed of their status. Therefore, they often hide the symptoms and even find it difficult in discussing their condition with other people. This deters effective treatment. Therefore, to ensure that the sufferers understand, their condition this understanding is vital. During their assessment, health professionals should explain and explore hidden distress and disability that is associated with the disorder. The sufferers should be advised that their condition is a typical feature that anyone can experience when distressed.

According to John and Mark, the treatment of obsessive Compulsive disorder has existed for more than 30 years (152). They note that the current treatment that is administered for the disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. In this treatment, a serial trials of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are administered. When this fails the second treatment should include augmentation of SRIs together with other medications such as buspirone, haloperidol, clonazepam among many recommended others. On the other hand, in the cognitive behavioral therapy, the sufferers is exposed to obsessional cues and is restricted to performance of any rituals. However, with many patients not willing to be exposed, many other approaches have been identified. According to John and Mark, an approximate of 20-30% of individuals refuses to be treatment under behavioral treatment programs (153).

Another method known as Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy (DIRT) coined by Jones and Menzies (as cited in John and Mark 153) can also be used in the treatment of the disorder. This method is however confined in the obsessive-compulsive washers. The method is based or is hypothesized based on the dangers that the sufferer expects. Therefore, the method is useful in providing treatment to danger related cognition problems.

From the discussion, it is evident that OCD is caused by a number of reasons. Some of the common causes of the disorder is the brain dysfunction and chemicals that that are meant to coordinate communication between nerve cells. Other reasons that are believed to be causing the disorder even though not fully proven include depression among others. The disorder is also treatable. The two major preferred treatment methods are psychological therapy and the cognitive behavior therapy. The first method involves administering of drugs while the second is based on behaviors of individuals. The disorder affects both the young and the adult and cuts across the genders. It s also important to note that, children suffering from the disease need to be treated under the care of their families and parents. Because of embarrassment, many children suffering from the disorder may not be frank to express these symptoms hence leading to failure to provide appropriate care. It is also advised that health professional, provide advice and information on the symptoms to the individuals suffering from the disorder to enable them seek for medication. Even though, various studies have been conducted on the study, many other researches are underway to find out exactly the causes and the best treatment that can be provided to ensure that the disorder is well managed.

Works Cited

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