What can cause ocd in a person.

Repeating things in a daily life strikes

fear into not doing them, thinking that something may or may not happen
to family members or someone close. OCD has many symptoms, not
just the usually neat and cleanliness. Obsessions often have themes to
them, such as: Fear of contamination or dirt, Doubting and having
difficulty of uncertainty. This essay will discuss the symptoms and the
potential cause of OCD.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD for short is unreasonable

thoughts and fears that lead to compulsive behaviors which anyone can
have no matter the age, race or background. While it's not clear for
scientists why people do have Obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is
reason to believe that it has to do with learned behavior that sticks with a
person from overtime, however there are many other factors that play a
role for having Obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder can be a
learned behaviour, which becomes repetitive which is often associated
with relief from anxiety.

Using technologies in which pictures of the brain are taken, researchers

have been able to see that certain areas of the brain function differently
in people with OCD compared with those who do not have the disorder.
Research suggests that Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms may
involve communication errors among different parts of the brain. It is also
believed that Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the result of a
combination of neurobiological, genetic, behavioral, cognitive, and
environmental factors that trigger the disorder in a specific individual at
any random point in time. Another reason for OCD is “While we still do
not know the exact cause or causes of OCD, research suggests that
differences in the brain and genes of those affected may play a role”
( iocdf.org). Research from iocdf.org has suggested that OCD involves
problems in communication between the front part of the brain and
deeper structures inside. Although it has been established that
Obsessive-compulsive disorder has a basis, research has been unable
to point to any definitive cause or causes of OCD.

Some believe that compulsions are actually learned responses that help
an individual reduce or prevent anxiety or discomfort associated with
obsessions or urges. Making up rules or rituals to follow may help control
anxiety when having obsessive thoughts. However when performing the
behaviors or rituals, the subject may feel brief relief from the anxiety. “
You may try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but that only increases
your distress and anxiety” (mayoclinic.org). Some misconceptions on
Obsessive-compulsive disorder are “ OCD is not a personality quirk or a
character trait -- it is a very real mental health condition that affects
about 2 to 3 million adults, and half a million youth, in the US alone”
(iocdf.org).

However not everyone has it. That cleaning isn’t the only Obsessive-
compulsive disorder. Fear of germs or contamination, Unwanted
forbidden or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm, Aggressive
thoughts towards others self and or having things symmetrical or in a
perfect order. The causes of Obsessive-compulsive disorder may not be
fully understood yet but there are some theories on what causes this
disorder. Needing things orderly and symmetrical, aggressive or horrific
thoughts about losing control and harming yourself or others. Unwanted
thoughts, including aggression, or sexual or religious subjects.

There is also touching and ritual that is often associated with Obsessive-
compulsive disorder, which is the one of the lesser-known groups of
symptoms that is ritualized touching, tapping, and movement. Are
learned behavior which causes them to become receptive in daily life.
Example would be knocking on wood to unjinx something said or having
any bad thoughts go away, then repeating it throughout life being
terrified if not done then something bad will happen. One of the main
reasons is behavior that sticks with the subject. “Learning theorists, for
example, suggest that behavioral conditioning may contribute to the
development and maintenance of obsessions and compulsions”
(beyondocd.org) While the causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder are
not fully understood, there are both genetic and environmental risk
factors. Some may have a parent, and or sibling are at greater risk of
having it themselves.

Childhood physical or sexual abuse and other traumatic events are

associated with greater risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The
Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms reported in the National
Comorbidity Survey Replication epidemiological study (NCS-R) include
checking (79.3%), hoarding (62.3%), ordering (57.0%), moral concerns
(43.0%), sexual/religious concerns (30.2%), contamination (25.7%),
harming (24.2%), concerns about illness (14.3%), and other (19.0%),
with 81% of respondents endorsing symptoms in multiple areas.
( ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Obsessive-compulsive disorder can run in families,
and that OCD begins in childhood may be different for adults. For
example, “ a recent review of twin studies has shown that genes play a
larger role when OCD starts in childhood (45-65%) compared to when it
starts in adulthood (27-47%)”( iocdf.org). To those who wonder if OCD
runs in the family, talking to family members about what disorder runs in
the family is a good step to figure out if your more likely to have it.

At first Obsessive-compulsive disorder wasn’t described yet until 1838

and by the end of the 19th century it was regarded as a type of
depression. Even though some still think that's the case. “ OCD is often
compounded by depression and other anxiety disorders, including social
anxiety, panic disorder and separation anxiety”(betterhelth.vic.gov.au)
Then during the 19th century it all began to change, instead of a
depression OCD was starting to be seen as a psychoanalysis
explanation. Each article talks about what OCD is and who can have it.
Which stated anyone can have it. “ OCD affected 1.2% of adults in the
U.S. in the past year” (Adaa.org). It’s a common disorder that affects
adults, adolescents, and children all over the world. Most people are
diagnosed around the age of nineteen.

Some people may or may not know if they have Obsessive-compulsive

disorder or might not even know what the symptoms are and that it is
possible to have just obsessions and no compulsions and still be
diagnosed with OCD and that according to the DSM-5, the diagnosis
requires the presence of either obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Having Obsessive-compulsive disorder without being diagnose is
possible, reason being is that if the OCD is taking time out of life, constily
scared and have bad anxiety if not done.

However one truly does not know if they have Obsessive-compulsive

disorder if not seen by a professional, however if the clear signs are
there then the person is more likely to have it no matter if it’s diagnose or
not. People will often need to look for signs of Obsessive-compulsive
disorder which is often but not limited to Obsessions with recurring
thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced as intrusive and
unwanted and, for most people, cause anxiety or distress. The individual
tries to ignore them, and or suppress them with different thought.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that one feels
compelled to do in response to an obsession. They are meant to “help”
with the anxiety or distress or to prevent a feared event or situation, but
they are not realistically connected to these outcomes, the same
example would be knocking on wood.

As stated before earlier in the paper Obsessive-compulsive disorder

usually begins in the teen or young adult years, but it can also start in
childhood. Symptoms usually begin moderately and tend to vary in
severity throughout life. The types of obsessions and compulsions
people can experience can also change over time. Symptoms may
generally worsen when the subject experience greater stress. OCD,
usually considered a lifelong disorder, and can also have mild to
moderate symptoms or be so severe and time-consuming that it
becomes disabling.

Anxiety also plays a small role in Obsessive-compulsive disorder

because it is an anxiety disorder. And often when one has anxiety and
stress it turns into OCD. Trying to ignore and stop the obsession will only
increase the distress which is where people try to perform compulsive
acts to try to ease the stress in their life. Despite efforts to ignore or get
rid of thoughts or urges, which then leads to more ritualistic behavior.
When do people go see a doctor? Sometimes it's hard to do so because
usually they do not want to talk about mental illness with someone or if
their younger self does not want to bring it to a parents attention. If
obsessions and compulsions are affecting the quality of someone's life,
then seeing a doctor or mental health professional is the best option.
OCD is typically treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a
combination of the two. Although most patients with OCD respond to
treatment, some patients continue to experience symptoms. Also
sometimes the subject that has OCD also has other mental disorders,
such as anxiety, depression, and etc. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SRIs), is used to help reduce OCD symptoms. Treatment for OCD can
include psychological treatments such as but not limited to cognitive
behaviour therapy, anxiety management techniques, support groups and
etc. Treatment such as cognitive behaviour therapy can improve
symptoms, and this improvement is often maintained in the long term.
While OCD is often hard to diagnose due to the fact some people just
think it’s “neat” quirk to have it can cause stress to the person.

2017-10-03, Posted. “Help Separate OCD Myths from the Facts.”

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www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-disorder-
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www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-
disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20354432.

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