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What is OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and should I suffer from the condition is it life threatening or contagious. Well for one it is not a catching disease so you can stand beside a sufferer with no fear of the condition passing onto you or vice versa. And again for a life threatening disease, no, however depending on severity it can give cause for a patient to want to end it all. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and to repeat certain behaviors (compulsions) over and over again. Each one of us has our own personalized habit in which we may conduct in daily lives such as combing our hair. However, for people with OCD, patterns of behavior get in the way of their daily lives. Most people with OCD know that their obsessions and compulsions make no sense, but they can't ignore or stop them. This can be frustrating not only for the patient but for them around them. Over compulsive disorder is a distressing illness and not only for the diagnosed but for friends and family too.
People tend to, after diagnosis get confused over many of the aspects involved with obsessive compulsive disorder. Mix up usually includes the difference between obsessions and compulsions. To clarify the puzzlement obsessions are ideas, images and impulses that run through the patient's mind over and over again. A person loses control over their way of thinking and cannot rid these disturbing thoughts. For the people with OCD compulsions they can feel nervous and afraid. A patient believes by carrying out certain behaviors helps rid them of these thoughts. For instance, a person who has OCD may have obsessive thoughts about germs. The patient becomes impelled through thought to wash more than what is considered healthy. It is a like a quick fix you could say to make their nervous feelings go away for a short period. Washing and cleansing is repeated after the feeling of nervousness returns.
Common obsessions:
- Dread of germs
- Loathing bodily waste or fluids
- Concern with order, symmetry (balance) and exactness
- Worry over a job not done right, even when they know it has
- Fear of thinking evil thoughts
- Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers all the time
- Need for constant reassurance
- Scared of harming another human
Common compulsions:
- Repetitive hand cleaning, or brushing the teeth
- Checking door locks and appliances over and over
- Saving newspapers etc when they are no longer needed
- Seeking constant reassurance and approval
- Ordering and arranging items in specific ways
- Counting over and over to a certain number
Repeating actions like going in and out of a door, sitting down and getting up, or touching certain objects several times, - all sound like the doings of a mad man, how far from the truth. If anyone can ascertain this, it is I, who, for over 40 years has suffered with OCD and still do. I expect you think if someone has suffered this condition this long will know of the cure. I can only through my own personal experience say, no cure out there yet, but I imply this to myself. Nevertheless OCD can be eased. My penny worth would be to advise you to "slow down" in mind and body. There were times when I hadn`t even finished one job when I would be thinking of the next and the next and the next. Bedtime for me was never about sleeping, but on the awakening, that is if I did get some shut eye - to get stuck in with the chores that were only done hours before retiring.
For years OCD was thought a rare illness but as time has progressed so did OCD. US study reported that 3 million people aged 18 to 54 have OCD at some time. There is no difference to how the male/ female suffer obsessive compulsive disorder, other than actual severities connected to it. What is the cause, who knows because no particular one has been blamed? It is said that it may have to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One chemical is called serotonin which helps restrict the repetitive moves a person makes. A patient may not have enough serotonin. Some folk find they function better after taking medication that increases the amount of serotonin in their brain.
More times than not, a person are also likely to suffer other anxieties, like phobias or panic attacks. Depression is predominantly another, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an eating disorder or a learning disorder such as dyslexia. It is vital if any of these symptoms show in someone close or even a child, you need to see your GP. A regular question raised is how OCD is treated. Of course an accurate answer could be given if this disease did not involve mild and severe symptoms. Treatments for this disorder will depend on the individual and how serious the complaint has taken hold.
Notable medicines for treating OCD include: clomipramine (brand name: Anafranil), fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac), sertraline (brand name: Zoloft), paroxetine (brand name: Paxil) and fluvoxamine (brand name: Luvox). As with nearly every drug used for curing will bring side effects. These specific drugs mentioned above can cause dry mouth, nausea and drowsiness. Counseling is very therapeutic. Having someone understand where you are coming from and more importantly understand why you do what you do, without sniggering is a great help. If it has been suggested you look to a therapist, then do so, because these people are trained for helping the likes of you and me.
In behavioral therapy, people face situations that cause or trigger their obsessions and anxiety. Then they are encouraged not to perform the rituals that usually help control their nervous feelings. Never at any stage throughout a therapy session will you be forced to do something you`re not comfortable with doing. For instance, if you`re obsessed with germs then you may be asked to use the toilet without washing your hands twice. For this method, an OCD patient must be able to tolerate the high levels of anxiety that can result from the experience. People suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder may find themselves throwing or discarding items like clothing or furniture away all because they feel it cannot be washed.
Talking numbers and color obsessions we have the patient who will wash their hands a particular amount of times in a day. Certain colors will pertain for particular people. Never go off another`s advice as this can be risky. Listen to your doctor. Many established disorders can lead to others, and OCD we strongly connect with depression. Depression is a regular mental health issue around the globe; in Britain it affects one in six people. There is always going to be them off days where we feel despondent sad and lacking motivation, but if feelings as such persists it is possible that depression be the cause.
Symptoms of depression can include:
Irritability and anxiety
No energy
Reclusive moods
Change of appetite
No get up and go
Hopelessness
Tiredness
Problem sleeping or too much sleepy eye
Restlessness
Loss of interest in favored activities
Weight gain or weight loss
Suicidal thoughts
Lack of concentration
Continuous sadness
Is a person who suffers from depression or OCD, a hypochondriac? A person who's hypochondriac is worried about their physical health and body. Hypochondriacs will often be well-informed about illnesses, diagnoses and leads to medical examinations and/or treatment. Usually a concern, and in some cases not a concern - usually has the hypochondriac frequently seek help to try and discover the cause for their symptoms.
The difference between hypochondria and OCD is that, a hypochondriac will more times suffer an illness, "not there," whereas, some OCD patient`s ignore an illness that is. With having no reason behind "why they do what they do" makes them skeptic of a problem being present. And if they don`t know why they do what they do, then how can someone else be expected to help the unknown.
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