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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Before I define obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD, let me first talk about the symptoms that are present in an obsessive personality. An obsessive person may tend to be a perfectionist, meaning everything has to be just right. The perfectionist tends to be real tidy and washes their hands more than is necessary for purposes of hygiene. People with an obsessive personality also tend to focus on details and miss the broad picture of a situation. Constant doubting and doing things over and over again to make sure things are correct also characterize this trait. However these traits are not considered to be harmful to oneself and most establish a daily schedule that they can enjoy. Once these characteristics are taken to the extreme and change a persons way of life that person is said to be suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is considered a neurotic disorder and is listed under anxiety disorders. A person with OCD becomes trapped in a pattern of senseless thoughts and behaviors that are extremely hard to give up. OCD varies on a scale from mild (repeating the ritual once a day) to severe (repeating hundreds of times a day) and if not treated can affect the abilities to function at school, work or even at home. Obsessions are unwanted ideas that constantly pop into the head of a person suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. The patient continually tries to get the idea out of his head but is unable to do so. Just about every patient realizes that these thoughts are irrational, which is what separates obsessions from delusions. Sometimes the obsessions take the form of evil temptations that seem very different from the patient’s personality. Other common obsessions are having a constant fear of contamination and germs, excessive need to do things perfectly, fear of losing aggressive urges and a need to tell, ask or confess. Compulsions are the responses to obsessions, characterized by repetitive actions, which give a sense of relief to the patient. The most common compulsions tend to be washing hands, counting while doing stuff such as washing hands, repeating things over and over, touching, praying, checking and endlessly arranging objects so they are in perfect alignment. The patient normally realizes the senselessness of the act but continues to do it because it relieves them from anxiety. When a patient resists the temptation by will or by physical means he or she will suffer growing discomforts to an intensity point then it cools down only to return again. The explanation for why obsessions keep occurring in the mind is something that has interested psychologists theorizing. Compulsions are actions performed to release anxiety that is being produced from the obsessions which is understandable, excluding the rare instances that compulsions completely skip the obsession and a set stimulus sets it off. However in obsessions or the compulsions that aren’t triggered by obsessions there is no concrete form of what causes the reactions, this is an aspect that is just now starting to gain attention.
Approximate Word count = 1996
Approximate Pages = 8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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