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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
1 Inservice Hour
OBJECTIVES:
At
the end of this class, you will be able to: 1. discuss the signs of OCD; 2. list the treatments of OCD; and 3. care for patients with OCD INTRODUCTION
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder (OCD) is a mental health problem that causes the person to have
thoughts and/or behavior that is repeated over and over again. Some of the
things that the person may do over and over again can include counting, washing one’s hands, clearning and other rituals. The
person does these things in hopes that doing these things will make these
thoughts go away. The person is driven to do these things. They cannot control
themself. Many times these
behaviors have strict rules that must be stuck to in order to prevent some harm
to someone or something that has nothing to do with the act. For example, an
old saying that you may have repeated over and over again when you were a child
was “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back”. Stepping on a crack in the
sideway while walking, as you know, has nothing at all to do with breaking your
mother’s back. OCD is seen quite often. It is the 4th most common mental health
problem. It is seen as often as diabetes and asthma is seen in the OCD, when severe, stops the person from being able to function in their
everyday life. Some have to do their acts several times a day and for several
hours. The person may no longer be able to work and to support themself. They
may not be able to keep friends and family members. It is very painful,
especially when the person knows that the acts and the thoughts are not sound
and rational. WHAT CAUSES OCD? In the past, some thought that people with OCD were possessed by the devil.
Today, most people think that OCD is the result of both physical and emotional
factors. Many state that OCD comes as a result of the lack of a normal brain
chemical called serotonin. The brain cannot filter out thoughts that are not
necessary when this chemical is lacking. As a result, the brain dwells on these
thoughts and fears. These acts end up controlling the person’s whole life. Some think that it may have emotional causes. The compulsive acts are
carried out to decrease anxiety and, because the anxiety is reduced after the
act, the person learns that doing the act will make them feel better. They
must, therefore, do the act over and over again.
Others say that OCD may happen with children because of a response to a
Group A strep infection. Still others say that it may
be in the genes and that it runs in families or that it is problem with the
brain that fails to communicate with the body to produce a complete act in a
smooth manner. The person then breaks each part of the process up into smaller
and repeated bits of movement to accomplish the goal. The brain is never happy
with the person’s starting of the movement. It is always sending a worry signal
to the person. Anxiety rises and the only way that it can stop is if the person
does their act over and over again. Some people have noticed that the intake of caffeine makes their symptoms
worse. The rate of OCD appears to be higher among those that have not completed
high school and higher for those who have graduated from college. Males tend to
get OCD at an earlier age than girls. It usually begins during the late teens
and the early 20s. Some say that those of above average intelligence get it
more. Research into the causes of OCD continues to be done todday. We may find
new causes and new treatments as time goes on. THE SIGNS OF OCD The signs of OCD are the
thoughts that occur over and over again and the acts, or rituals, that are
performed over and over again. For example, if a person
has thoughts of germs over and over again, they may feel the need to wash their
hands over and over again (the act) even when it is not necessary. Some people
will wash their hands until they are raw and bleeding and they still cannot
stop. If a person has ongoing thoughts about a robbery in their home, they may
have the need to constanting check and lock their doors and windows in their
home. Some other acts can include constant counting, touching things in oder over and over again, constantly cleaning and organizing
and collecting lots of items, and junk, that the person does not need. The person feels better
for a short time after doing the acts but, soon thereafter, the thoughts and
the need to do the act come up again, and again, and again. It haunts the
person every day. Many people with OCD know that what is happening is not
normal. Others, like children, may not know that what they are doing is not
normal. People that know may avoid their triggers and they may use alcohol or
drugs to stop their thoughts. They may also feel shame and embarassment about
it. They are not happy about having to do these acts over and over again.
Some of the physical effects of OCD are nervous tics or twitches, jerking
and not voluntary arm or leg movements, tremors and rigid muscles. The thoughts of the person with OCD can be: ·
violent or aggressive thoughts; ·
bad sex thoughts; or ·
thought about religion that
are not good. The person is constanting thinking, “Can I harm myself or other people if I
suddenly snap and lose control and do something, not even knowing that I am
doing it, that is not at all like anything I could
ever do if I had control?” Even though very few people lose control and perform
the thought, these thoughts are very upsetting to the person. They feel guilt,
shame, anger and anxiety about them. Violent thoughts
Some possible violent thoughts are thoughts of: ·
hurting a child, ·
jumping off a bridge or jumping in front of a speeding
car, ·
pushing another person off the top of a mountain, and ·
killing an animal, ·
shouting out bad words in public, and ·
hurting a family member. Sexual thoughts Some of
these thoughts can include thoughts about:
·
rape,
·
sex with family members,
·
sex with animals
·
sex with religious leaders,
·
fondling or touching another without their
consent, and
·
homosexual contact when the person is not.
THE TREATMENT OF OCD Although OCD can NOT be
cured, it can be treated with: ·
medicines, ·
therapy, ·
support groups, ·
stress management and ·
the support of others. Some people are helped
with medicines and therapy. During therapy, the person learns how to face the
things that may them fearful. As they does this over
time, they will become less fearful and no longer forced to do the repeated
acts. Brain stimulation may also be used. Because many people with OCD also
have depression, this too must be treated. Many people with OCD and
other disorders, like depression, get a lot of help and support with support
groups in their home town. These groups meet in different places at different
times, mostly one time a week. People with OCD can freely share their feelings,
problems and solutions with other OCD patients during these meetings. Stress management can
also help. The person may want to do yoga, meditate, pray, and/or do deep
breathing or progressive relaxation to decrease their anxiety. Exercise is also
helpful. Caffeine, illegal drugs and alcohol should be avoided. Lastly, families,
clergy, friends and others can support the person with OCD. REFERENCES National
Institute of Mental Health Obessive-Compulsive
Disorder http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/obsessive-compulsive-disorder.shtml Copyright © 2009 Alene Burke TAKE THE TEST |
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