Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Posted on: July 20th, 2013
By some estimates, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects approximately 1 percent of the adult population and .5% of children in the US. Individuals have obsessive thoughts, fears or impulses that subsequently lead to compulsive or repeated actions. The fears or thoughts triggering the behavior tend to be greatly exaggerated in the person’s mind, and the ensuing conduct is time-consuming and interferes with daily life. People with OCD are easily affected by stress and resort to some form of repetitive behavior to try and relieve it.
One complicating factor of OCD is the range of behavior that it encompasses. For example, OCD can manifest as hoarding or continuous hand washing. Sometimes people affected by OCD lock and unlock doors over and over again, constantly rearrange items or continuously count in their heads. And whereas hoarding is more readily recognized as a mental illness, a person that washes their hands frequently may not seem as though they have a serious condition. So, often OCD goes undiagnosed. The International OCD Foundation estimates that people with OCD can go 14 to 17 years before getting the correct treatment.
While doctors confirm that OCD patients have biological changes in their brains, there remains a limited understanding of these chemical imbalances and how to treat them. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help. Individuals with OCD are exposed to the stimuli that cause the anxiety and then they are taught a reformulated response. A person can be instructed on how to modify behavior and in some cases encouraged to make lifestyle changes to address the anxiety. Often, cognitive behavioral therapy is successfully combined with medication. Contact Maureen Kritzer-Lange Psychotherapy if you’re concerned about the behavior of a loved one. She’ll develop the appropriate treatment program for your family.
Leave a Reply