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If your mind is overwhelmed by obsessions, you repeat some activities endlessly, you feel helpless and misunderstood, then it’s high time to seek the help of a specialist!
Obsession and compulsion
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has two components: obsessions and compulsive (compulsive) activities.
Intrusive thoughts these are images or impulses to act that appear in the consciousness in a stereotypical (constantly repeated) manner. They are almost always unpleasant sensations for a sick person. However, attempts to oppose intrusions are usually unsuccessful.
Compulsory actions (rituals) is stereotypical and repeated behavior (e.g. washing hands 20 times in a row). The sick person performs them because he is deeply convinced that thanks to this he will prevent some misfortune, catastrophe (eg. “If I don’t open and close this door 15 times, something bad will happen to my children”). A person who performs compulsory actions realizes that this behavior is pointless and completely unnecessary, but the fear of possible unpleasant consequences of its omission is stronger. Performing a coercive act temporarily reduces anxiety.
What is the cause of the disease? Who gets it most often?
So far, the cause of the OCD has not been established. Some studies have linked OCD to disturbances in the production of serotonin – one of the neurotransmitters produced in the brain. Others suggest that the disease is genetic. OCD usually appears around the age of 15. Boys are more likely than girls.
What are the symptoms of OCD?
In the course of OCD, the most common symptoms are:
• excessive pedantism (including frequent care for symmetry), excessive care for hygiene, fear of contracting any disease,
• recurring doubts, constant questions (are the lights off, are the books still in place, etc.),
• frequent and / or prolonged touching of various objects, constant counting in your mind or out loud,
• intrusive thoughts about performing sexual acts or prohibited behavior,
• feeling a strong need to remember irrelevant details,
• religious obsessions,
• constantly rearranging things in a given room, arranging and organizing them,
• feeling compelled to count, e.g. buildings passing by, cars of a certain color, glowing street lamps,
• an internal order to go (eg to school, work, shop) along a fixed route, eg avoiding scratches of paving slabs.
It is normal for every adult or child to experience some obsession and compulsion. In kindergarten, toddlers often perform some rituals while eating or playing. It is their way of organizing parts of the world around them that provides the young organism with too many stimuli. Such behavior is therefore physiological and should not be of concern to parents. Meanwhile, in the case of OCD, intrusive and obsessive thoughts cause severe anxiety, and compulsions are so frequent that they interfere with everyday functioning.
Where to go for help?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an embarrassing disease. Observer sufferers rarely talk about their symptoms. They are afraid of being misunderstood, stigmatized or rejected. Most people visit doctors of various specializations, but avoid a psychiatrist’s office. Meanwhile, OCD should be diagnosed by a psychiatrist and / or clinical psychologist – after a thorough interview and examination. To consult with one of the specialists listed, go to the nearest Mental Health Clinic (no referral is necessary). The most effective method of treatment is a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy helps the sick person understand their fears and teaches them effective ways to deal with them. If the patient is a minor, participation in the therapy of his parents is extremely important.
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