OCD - How To Cope With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder & Deal With OCD Symptoms
Posted: Saturday, February 06, 2010
by Kacycarr
http://www.spotthepimple.com
OCD - Whether you call it obsessive-compulsive-disorder, over-compulsive-disorder or OCD they are all the same condition which.is an all-consuming, debilitating disorder that affects approximately 4 million people in America alone. Unless you have actually suffered from the condition then you can never know just how serious the illness is, and neither can you be expected to understand the people who battle to cope with their OCD symptoms. I feel writing about the disease should come easy to me being a sufferer since I can remember.
OCD symptoms are different in people, some may include them having to count to a certain number before they leave the house, or they can't go through the door till they have fluffed up the cushions, straightened an ornament on the shelf, or picked up bits of the floor.
It is rituals of this nature that have people around you become dubious and maybe scared. Nevertheless if you suffer from OCD then let me assure you that you are not a mental case, although at times the condition can fool you and have you question have you lost your marbles..
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and to repeat certain traits (compulsions) over and over. Each and every one of us have our own personal daily habits, such as eating, brushing our hair and going to work are some to mention, but for those with OCD, patterns of behaviour get in the way of them leading a normal life. The vast majority of men and women, and kids, yes children too, know their obsessions and compulsions make no sense, but find it difficult to stop doing them
What are obsessions?
Obsessions are ideas, images and impulses that run through the person's mind repeatedly. They can be mildly annoying or downright irritating
What are compulsions?
Obsessive thoughts can cause the patient to feel nervous and afraid. And the only way they feel they can remove these feelings is through acting out particular behaviours according to "rules" that they themselves conjure up. These traits are referred to as compulsions (rituals.) For example, those who have obsessive thoughts, let's say about germs will after using a public lavatory will feel compelled to wash his or her hands over and over. It's like a quick fix for taking away the nervousness for a short while. But then the feeling returns and all are repeated again.
Familiar Obsessions
- Scared of dirt or germs
- Loathes bodily waste
- Worried about order, symmetry (balance) and exactness
- Concerned a chore is done badly, even though the one with OCD knows different
- Panic of thinking evil thoughts
- Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers constantly
- Need for constant reassurance
- Fear of harming another
- Cleaning
- Checking that door locks and appliances are closed and switched off
- Repeating actions, like going back and forth through a door, sitting down and rising from a seated position, or touching particular objects for a specific amount of times
- Organizing and arranging items
- Counting until a certain number is reached
- Hoarding unwanted newspapers etc
- Continually looking for support
As we speak there's been no single proven cause for "why we do what we do," so OCD and its beginning still remains a mystery. Nevertheless research still goes on, and some study findings say it could have something to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to the next. One in particular, called serotonin helps keep a person with obsessive compulsive disorder to stabilize and control repetitive behaviours. It's believed someone with the illness may not have ample serotonin. Medication that increases the amount of serotonin in the brain will assist people to cope and function better
Illnesses linked with OCD?
A lot of people diagnosed with having OCD often have other kinds of anxiety, like phobias such as fear of spiders or panic attacks. Mine is snakes, if I as much get a glimpse of one in a book or on the television I have been known to fall to the floor in shock. If the mention of one is brought up in conversation unexpectedly, words cannot describe my reaction. I tend to frighten people around me (unintentionally) with my combined screams and body convulsions. I once spoke to a guy who reared them, and he told me that I must go every day avoiding snakes, and how right he was. I constantly have them on my mind, and no matter how hard I try, they are there haunting me. If the TV is to be turned over, it's done with my hands over my eyes with enough of a gap to check the channel and that it doesn't include them.
I have had OCD for a long time and still to this day not cured. My obsession includes cleaning the home and that everything around me is in order, if I don't have this then I am good for nothing. I work a lot on the computer, and before I can begin working the desktop icons, and all file folders have to be in order. Of course people with this type of OCD wouldn't allow it to get in a state in the first place.
People with OCD may have depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an eating disorder or a learning disorder such as dyslexia.
How is OCD treated?
Combining therapy with medication is normally the best effective way for treating OCD. Medicines frequently used for treating depression include: clomipramine, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine and fluvoxamine. But as with most drugs there are the side effects to consider and the above mentioned can cause dry mouth, nausea and drowsiness.
People are different in the way they suffer and handle conditions. Some people respond well to OCD treatments and some don't, I being proof of that. I remember my doctor telling me how serious my OCD was, and that I would kill myself if I didn't stop what I was doing. Some of the things I did included not just sweeping the garden but the road too, or how I would have to leave a party to go home to straighten the towel over the bath. I was referred to a physiologist, and all the time I spent with him I thought I could be at home polishing or mopping the floor. So you see I was never cured, but over the years I have learned how to cope. My OCD could be stressful at times especially when trying to juggle with the ten jobs I had lined up in my mind to do even before finishing the first job I had started. How did I cope? Well it's been a struggle but I found by slowing down helped.
Under the guidance of a trained therapist usuing behavioural therapy you maybe one of the fortunate ones to respond to treatment, however should you be like me then take each step at a time, slow down and beat your OCD by coping with its symptoms. Depending on you as an individual will determine your strength in doing this. Consult your doctor if this does not work for you. If you or someone you know shows signs of having the illness then go online where you will find all the information needed to identify the disorder and / or seek treatment and get the support you need.
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