Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessions are recurrent, persistent, intrusive, and unwanted A. OCD can start in childhood especially in males. In females,
thoughts, images, or impulses that cause marked anxiety and it more commonly begins in the 20s. Overall, distribution
interfere with interpersonal, social, or occupational function. between the sexes is equal. Onset is usually gradual,
The person knows these thoughts are excessive or although there have been cases of acute onset with
unreasonable but believes he or she has no control over them. periods of waxing and waning symptoms.
Compulsions are ritualistic or repetitive behaviors or mental B. Exacerbation of symptoms may be related to stress.
acts that a person carries out continuously in an attempt to Eighty percent of those treated with behavior therapy and
neutralize anxiety (Osborn, 1998). Usually the theme of the medication report success in managing obsessions and
ritual is associated with that of the obsession such as compulsions (Osborn, 1998), while 15% show progressive
repetitive handwashing when someone is obsessed with deterioration in occupational and social functioning (APA,
contamination or repeated prayers or confession for someone 2000).
obsessed with blasphemous thoughts.
Treatment:
Common compulsions include the following:
I. Like other anxiety disorders, optimal treatment for OCD
1. Checking rituals (repeatedly making sure the door is locked combines medication and behavior therapy. Table 13-4
or the coffee pot is turned off) lists drugs used to treat OCD. Behavior therapy specifically
2. Counting rituals (each step taken, ceiling tiles, concrete includes exposure and response prevention.
blocks, desks in a classroom)
3. Washing and scrubbing until the skin is raw II. Exposure involves assisting the client to deliberately
4. Praying or chanting confront the situations and stimuli that he or she usually
5. Touching, rubbing, or tapping (feeling the texture of each avoids. Response prevention focuses on delaying or
material in a clothing store; touching people, doors, walls, avoiding performance of rituals. The person learns to
or oneself) tolerate the anxiety and to recognize that it will recede
6. Hoarding items (for fear of throwing away something without the disastrous imagined consequences.
important)
7. Ordering (arranging and rearranging items on a desk, shelf, III. Other techniques discussed previously, such as deep
or furniture into a perfect order; vacuuming the rug pile in breathing and relaxation, can assist the person to tolerate
one direction) and eventually manage the anxiety (Abramowicz, Brigidi &
8. Rigid performance (getting dressed in an unvarying Roche, 2001).
pattern) Aggressive urges (for instance, to throw one’s
child against a wall)