Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition in which one becomes so obsessed with things of even minor importance that it is tough to accomplish daily tasks in life.

Causes

The causes for obsessive-compulsive disorder are divided broadly into three categories i.e. psychological, biological and the role of neurotransmitters. A milder case of OCD is not always a negative or regrettable factor as it can have a lot of advantages for human beings. For instance, it can lead to a strict maintenance of hygiene and environmental cleanliness. In the biological section, evidence suggests that it is genes that play the most significant role in this disorder. Studies of the brain have suggested that people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder show a different pattern of brain activity than those who do not suffer from it. It is caused due to the different functioning of a circuit in some part of the brain and striatum.

Symptoms

The symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder include factors as small as nervousness of being contaminated by germs, dirt or any other pathogen to those as serious as excessive belief in superstitions. Some other symptoms include constant fear that you may hurt yourself or any other person, the compulsion to check everything twice such as car locks, door locks, switches and any other appliances, flashes of violent thought and sexually explicit images, over assurance of the people's safety, living in the fear of losing things you may need, needless compulsion to repeat actions over and over to reduce anxiety such as tapping or counting, devoting a lot of time to a particular task to ensure cleanliness, putting too much faith in praying due to fear of a deity, the constant obsession of lining up things without need, gathering items that are of no use and being addicted to things which are considered lucky, helpful or harmful.

Treatment

The root cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder is, as the name suggests, obsession and it is exactly what is dealt with in the treatment. The treatment focuses on exposure of the patient to the source of obsession and at a certain point the patient is asked to refrain. In other ways of treatment, the patient is taught to suppress the urge of compulsiveness and instead concentrate on their sense of responsibility. Teaching healthy ways which prove effective in the long run are also a treatment strategy.

There is very less that others can help in this condition and hence, it is the patient that has to do most of the work. The recovery depends on the patient's will and devotion toward betterment. Some techniques suggested to avoid obsessive-compulsive disorder include avoiding compulsive thoughts by engaging your brain elsewhere. This can be achieved by taking a walk or jogging or performing any other task that takes the mind off the problem. It is observed that if one assesses or delays their urge for a considerable amount of time, then over a period it makes the compulsions less intense. Writing down one's thoughts is also suggested as it works as a healing action. Adopting relaxation techniques, eating healthy and regular exercise along with sleep also work as treatments that are natural and effective.

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