OCD PRESENTATION

OCD

By: Amy Resom, Journee Henderson, Sannai Rhodes

START

OCD

What is OCD?

OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is a mental health condition that is characterized by unwanted, disturbing thoughts and repetitive behaviors. OCD is a disorder that affects the brain in which compulsive and/or obsessive thoughts are formed. People with OCD likely feel driven to perform certain behaviors and thoughts. Most people with OCD have fears and anxieties that they cannot control in any way. OCD is the fourth most common neuropsychiatric illness in the United States.

How is OCD Diagnosed?

There is no x-ray to diagnose you with OCD. To be diagnosed they must have certain symptoms. Such as past obsessions or obsessions that have caused them anxiety or suffering. Your compulsions must last up to an hour or more each day and must come between you and your daily life.

Treatments:

As there is no cure for OCD, there are safe treatments that can help reduce symptoms. CBT stands for Cognitive behavior therapy. CBT is the safest treatment for all ages with OCD. CBT works by changing your behavior to help you have different thoughts and change your feelings. Some CBT therapists expose people to their fears in order to decrease it. A person can be exposed to the problem that causes their distress, the main focus of CBT is to decrease the person's anxiety.

How Common is it?

As of right now 2.3% of the world's population has OCD, which is over 150 million people. OCD is the fourth most common illness in the United States. It is said 1.8% of females have OCD and 0.5% of male. OCD prevalence in Adults is 1 in 100 and for children it is 1 in 200. In 2023 China has the highest OCD rate.

Causes

Although OCD has no known gene or an exact cause, research states that it may be a connection problem between the frontal lobe and the thalamus.Due to the thalamus being hyperactive it sends a worry sign to the frontal lobe of the brain. To communicate they use serotonin. They then carry these messages between brain cells. Having a low level of serotonin is what causes the obsessions and compulsions.

Effects

OCD can affect your daily life to a big extent. For instance it can interfere with school,work,and personal relationships. Depression and anxiety can be formed through OCD. Due to OCD people have felt different emotions that they may have not had before. Emotions such as disgust, fear,anxiety, and urges that you’ve never had before. These emotions can worsen your symptoms, interfere with financial problems, and cause difficulty in maintaining employment. Traumatic experiences often cause the onset of OCD. Various stressful events can trigger symptoms of OCD.

Different types of OCD

Although there aren't specifically “types” of OCD there are categories that can be described as “types” There are four main types of OCD. Contamination Symptoms, Symmetry & Arranging, Doubt & Harm, Unacceptable & Taboo thoughts. Contamination Symptoms are the most common out of all. Contamination Symptoms are obsessive fears of germs. In 2022, 46% of patients were affected by Contamination Symptoms.

How does the brain relate to OCD?

OCD is related to differences in brain functioning. That includes the areas of the brain that are responsible for regulating behavior, and the brain’s chemical that carries messages between the nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body's system. These differences can cause the intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are characteristics of OCD.

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