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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) Awareness . Osman Solano. What is OCD?. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder. It creates an awareness of alarm or threat to the person. The person typically tries to avoid the “threat” by doing very unusual things.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) Awareness Osman Solano
What is OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder. It creates an awareness of alarm or threat to the person. The person typically tries to avoid the “threat” by doing very unusual things. Ex. “If I don’t pick up the pencil off the floor someone might trip over it, and I would be held accountable”.
Why raise awareness? OCD is always looked over by other disorders. It affects men and women equally, about 2% of the U.S. population are diagnosed with it a year. The disorder costs the U.S. $8.4 billion since 1990 in social and economic losses.
What I Have Done? I’ve created my own website to spread the word on the disorder. The site is also filled with information, and where you should go to seek help if suffering from OCD in Houston.
OCD Symptoms Fear of dirt or contamination by germs. Fear of causing harm to another. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of being embarrassed or behaving in a socially unacceptable manner. Fear of thinking evil or sinful thoughts. Need for order, symmetry, or exactness.
What Causes OCD? There is not an exact cause for it but, studies show that environmental and biological factors may be involved. Research has found a link between low levels of one neurotransmitter called serotonin and the development of OCD. In addition, there is evidence that a serotonin imbalance may be passed on from parents to children. This means the tendency to develop OCD may be inherited.
Environmental Factors These factors may cause worsening of symptoms. The factors include: Abuse Changes in living situation Illness Death of a loved one Work- or school-related changes or problems Relationship concerns
How common is OCD? OCD affects about 3.3 million adults and about 1 million children in the U.S. The disorder usually first appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. It occurs about equally in men and women and affects people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds.
How is OCD diagnosed? The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on an assessment of the patient's symptoms, including how much time the person spends performing his or her ritual behaviors. The exams and tests include a physical, laboratory, and psychological evaluation tests.
How is OCD Treated? OCD has to be treated, if not it will become worse. The most effective approach to treating the disorder would be combining medications with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy The goal of the therapy is to teach people with OCD to confront their fears and reduce anxiety without having to perform the ritual behaviors. The therapy also focuses on reducing the exaggerated or catastrophic thinking that occurs often in people with OCD.
Medication Therapy Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants like Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft may be helpful in treating OCD.
Outlook For People With OCD In most cases, OCD can be successfully treated with medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, or both. With ongoing treatment, most people can achieve long-term relief from symptoms and return to normal or near-normal functioning.
Can OCD Be Prevented? OCD cannot be prevented. However, early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce the time a person spends suffering from the condition.
Celebrities who suffer from OCD Donald Trump- is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television and radio personality. Has a germ phobia that makes him afraid to shake hands. The star refuses to touch the ground floor button of a lift and avoids shaking hands with people - especially teachers.
Andrew Reynolds- is a professional skateboarder. Is the owner of Baker Skateboards, Brigada Eyewear, and Altamont Apparel.
Work Cited http://www.anxietypanic.com/ocdfacts.html http://www.ocfoundation.org/whatisocd.aspx http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001926/ http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/obsessive-compulsive-disorder