Obsessive Compulsive Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:Disorder:

The Who, What and How of The Who, What and How of OCDOCD

WHO CAN DEVELOP OCD?WHO CAN DEVELOP OCD?

Symptoms developing within their Symptoms developing within their teenage yearsteenage years

Symptoms usually Symptoms usually developing within their developing within their teensteens

Can effect family lifeCan effect family life

GradesGrades

Retard Social SkillsRetard Social Skills

Can start as young as Can start as young as toddlerstoddlers

Can affect adultsCan affect adults

3% of the American population or an estimated 7 3% of the American population or an estimated 7 million people, between the ages of 15-30, suffer million people, between the ages of 15-30, suffer

from Obsessive Compulsive Disorderfrom Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

not a discriminating disorder.not a discriminating disorder. crosses all socio-economic levelscrosses all socio-economic levels where they live where they live age age affects men, women children equally affects men, women children equally will affect 1 out of every 50-100 people will affect 1 out of every 50-100 people within their lifetime within their lifetime 80% will suffer from both obsessions and 80% will suffer from both obsessions and compulsions compulsions 20% will have one or the other 20% will have one or the other

((www.athealth.comwww.athealth.com))

Understanding OCD is just the Understanding OCD is just the beginningbeginning

OCD is the result of having two disorders in one:OCD is the result of having two disorders in one:OBSESSIONSOBSESSIONS

An Obsession is having disturbing, recurrent and An Obsession is having disturbing, recurrent and unwanted thoughts that are uncontrollable and unable to unwanted thoughts that are uncontrollable and unable to be suppressed which result in high anxiety for an be suppressed which result in high anxiety for an individual. individual.

a) may become worried about germs or diseasea) may become worried about germs or disease b) worry about becoming violent or b) worry about becoming violent or aggressiveaggressive c) thoughts concerning religionc) thoughts concerning religion d) distasteful sexual thoughtsd) distasteful sexual thoughts e) overly obsessed with order and symmetry. e) overly obsessed with order and symmetry.

(Brinkerhoff, pg.17)(Brinkerhoff, pg.17)

COMPULSIONSCOMPULSIONS

In order to ease the anxiety associated In order to ease the anxiety associated with the obsessions ritualistic with the obsessions ritualistic behaviors will manifest in compulsions. behaviors will manifest in compulsions.

A compulsion is the ritualistic behavior A compulsion is the ritualistic behavior that is performed to ease the anxiety that is performed to ease the anxiety and usually mimicking the person’s and usually mimicking the person’s obsession.obsession.

(Brinkerhoff, pg.17)(Brinkerhoff, pg.17)

Worry about germs or diseaseWorry about germs or disease

Some may become Some may become worried about germs worried about germs or diseaseor disease

Washing their hands Washing their hands till raw and crackedtill raw and cracked

Constantly cleaningConstantly cleaning

Worry about becoming violent or Worry about becoming violent or

aggressive aggressive

Thoughts concerning religionThoughts concerning religionConstant prayerConstant prayer

Reading of religious Reading of religious materialmaterial

Surrounding of religious Surrounding of religious symbolssymbols

DistastefulDistasteful sexual thoughts sexual thoughts

Order and symmetryOrder and symmetry

Having to count Having to count things or repeat things or repeat rituals before every rituals before every task. task.

When they are When they are interrupted they feel interrupted they feel that they must start that they must start over again.over again. 1 2 3 4 5 6….1 2 3 4 5 6….

1 2 3 4 5 6 …1 2 3 4 5 6 …

They Know!!They Know!!Many sufferers of OCD know that Many sufferers of OCD know that their obsessions make no sensetheir obsessions make no sense

no practical reason for them no practical reason for them

based upon unfounded fears. based upon unfounded fears.

they cannot control these fearsthey cannot control these fears

These fears are completely valid These fears are completely valid to themto them

(American Family Physician, 2009)(American Family Physician, 2009)

4 theories at the root cause of4 theories at the root cause of OCDOCD

an abnormality within the basil an abnormality within the basil ganglia and the cingulum located ganglia and the cingulum located within the frontal lobe. within the frontal lobe.

Autoimmune Neurological DisorderAutoimmune Neurological Disorder

chemical imbalance within the chemical imbalance within the nervous systemnervous system

heredityheredity(Brinkerhoff, 2004, pg.26-28)(Brinkerhoff, 2004, pg.26-28)

((American Family Physician,American Family Physician, 2009) 2009)

Basil GangliaBasil Ganglia

The basal ganglia The basal ganglia are in control of are in control of routine behaviors, routine behaviors, like grooming or like grooming or brushing teeth. brushing teeth.

The frontal lobe is The frontal lobe is in control of in control of organizational organizational behaviors and behaviors and planning abilities.planning abilities.

((www.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocdwww.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocd) )

CingulumCingulumCingulum which is Cingulum which is located deep located deep within brain near within brain near the frontalthe frontal lobe.lobe.

The cingulum The cingulum controls controls communication in communication in the brains the brains behavioral and behavioral and emotional emotional messages.messages.

((www.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocdwww.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocd))

Autoimmune Neurological DisorderAutoimmune Neurological Disorder This theory links children and teenage OCD This theory links children and teenage OCD was reported by the National Institute of was reported by the National Institute of Mental HealthMental Health

They linked similar childhood autoimmune They linked similar childhood autoimmune diseases with the same symptoms as OCD. diseases with the same symptoms as OCD.

Autonomic nervous system diseasesAutonomic nervous system diseasesDegenerative nervous system diseases Degenerative nervous system diseases Central nervous system diseases Central nervous system diseases Headaches Headaches DementiaDementiaLanguage disorders Language disorders PerceptualPerceptual disorders disorders Movement disorders Movement disorders Sleep disordersSleep disorders

((www.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocdwww.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocd))

Chemical imbalance within the Chemical imbalance within the nervous system.nervous system.

Research also found that too little Research also found that too little activity of certain neurotransmitters was activity of certain neurotransmitters was correlated to OCD.correlated to OCD.

Other behaviors related to chemical Other behaviors related to chemical imbalance among OCD sufferers.imbalance among OCD sufferers.

DepressionDepression

ADHDADHD

Impulsive BehaviorImpulsive Behavior

(Fenske, J., & Schwenk, T., 2009)(Fenske, J., & Schwenk, T., 2009)

HeredityHeredityHeredity plays a large Heredity plays a large part in OCD part in OCD

OCD patients close OCD patients close family members had family members had higher incidents of higher incidents of OCDOCD

Other bipolar Other bipolar disordersdisorders

Panic attacks Panic attacks

Severe phobias Severe phobias (Brinkerhoff, 2004, pg.26-28)(Brinkerhoff, 2004, pg.26-28)

(Abramowitz, J., Taylor, S., & McKay, D.(2009)(Abramowitz, J., Taylor, S., & McKay, D.(2009)

Understand the TreatmentsUnderstand the Treatments 80% of those treated 80% of those treated within 8-10 week within 8-10 week greatly improvegreatly improve

20% drug therapy 20% drug therapy alone does not helpalone does not help

Daily use of drug Daily use of drug therapy can last a therapy can last a lifetime lifetime

(Stewart(Stewart.2004).2004)

•Psychotherapeutic Psychotherapeutic medication or medication or serotonin reuptake serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI’s) has inhibitors (SRI’s) has been extremely been extremely effective effective

•Serotonin levels are Serotonin levels are increased reducing the increased reducing the obsessive thought obsessive thought patterns and patterns and compulsionscompulsions

Cognitive-Behavioral TherapyCognitive-Behavioral TherapyCognitive-Behavioral Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) needs to Therapy (CBT) needs to be incorporated when be incorporated when meds do not work. meds do not work.

It internalizes a strategy It internalizes a strategy to resist the onset of to resist the onset of OCD. OCD.

It restructures It restructures behavioral patterns.behavioral patterns.

A patient is over A patient is over exposed to the source exposed to the source of their anxiety to of their anxiety to reduce their anxietyreduce their anxiety

reduce the person’s reduce the person’s ritualistic behavior ritualistic behavior

((American Family Physician,American Family Physician, 2009) 2009)

Future Treatment ConcernsFuture Treatment Concerns

The future directions of OCD The future directions of OCD treatments have numerous treatments have numerous barriersbarriers

Greatest concern is the lack of Greatest concern is the lack of trained CBT therapists. trained CBT therapists.

With few professionally trained With few professionally trained CBT therapists pharmacotherapy CBT therapists pharmacotherapy is the main course of action. is the main course of action.

17 years17 years 17 years17 years is the average time from their first is the average time from their first symptoms to proper treatment that theysymptoms to proper treatment that they

Limited exposure to a qualified Limited exposure to a qualified psychotherapist resulting in limited psychotherapist resulting in limited successsuccess

Few professionally trained CBT therapists Few professionally trained CBT therapists availableavailable

((www.ocfoundation.orgwww.ocfoundation.org))

Role of Role of PsychologistPsychologistDoctors not to blameDoctors not to blame

The stigma that society The stigma that society has placed on OCDhas placed on OCD

Discover the cause of itDiscover the cause of it

Course of treatmentCourse of treatment

psychologist beginning psychologist beginning to be properly trainedto be properly trained

ConclusionConclusionObsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be devastatingcan be devastating

It is not a preventable behavior It is not a preventable behavior

More research needs to be More research needs to be developed into the causesdeveloped into the causes

The most important thing that The most important thing that needs to be realized is that OCD needs to be realized is that OCD is treatableis treatable