Obsessive Compulsive Disorder And Treatments

Submitted by Kevin Pederson on July 27, 2009

Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder symbolizing cognitive disorders. It is characterized by rampant unwanted thoughts or repetitive behavioral patterns. Repetitive behaviors are generally performed so as to avert the unwanted thoughts. For example, an obsessive compulsive disorder afflicted person may repeatedly wash hands or perform various cleaning tasks to avoid the risk of germs and diseases. Performance of such repetitive behaviors provides temporary relief and non performance of these activities leads to anxiety. The causes of obsessive compulsive disorder can be psychological or biological.

Obsessive compulsive disorder can afflict people of all ages but obsessive compulsive disorder in children is of particular concern as it can ruin their formative years and thereby lead to obsessive compulsive personality disorders later in life. If the ailment is diagnosed in early childhood, it is easier to cure the disorder, thereby ensuring that the child leads a normal life in adulthood.

Obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms include repetitive behavior which is more or less irrational and bordering on paranoia. Obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms are two-fold and would include two diagnostic parameters namely, Obsessions and Compulsions. These different lines of symptoms can be illustrated in detail as follows:

Obsessions:

Recurrence and prevalence of unwanted thoughts or images that may lead to anxiety.

These thoughts are not necessarily real life problems and worries.

The afflicted individual tries to prevent anxiety caused by unwanted thoughts, by performing some kind of repetitive behavior.

The afflicted people may recognize the fact that these thoughts are imaginary and not real.

Compulsions:

These are the repetitive or compulsive behaviors that the sufferers of the disorder carry out in response to the unwanted thoughts.

The afflicted individuals carry out compulsive or repetitive behaviors to suppress the effects of unwanted thoughts and to prevent anxiety.

Obsessive compulsive disorder treatment includes various therapies and medications. Each of these treatment methods can be explained as follows:

Behavioral Therapy: This therapy is bases on the principle of classical conditioning as well as operant conditioning. This therapy helps the patients helps identify environmental causes of their affliction.

Cognitive Therapy: This therapy helps the afflicted persons to overcome dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and responses. This therapy helps the sufferers to identify distorted thinking and modify beliefs.

Complementary Therapy: Yoga can be used as a complementary therapy in the treatment of such disorders. In particular, the meditation techniques practiced in yoga help to focus the mind and enable the patient to identify and control their obsessions and compulsions.

Medications: Medications include peroxetine, fluvoxamine, and sertraline.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a grave ailment that may ruin your ability to think and comprehend logically and as such, must be diagnosed and treated promptly.