| There is nothing wrong if you believe that wearing | | | | touch anything due to fear of germs. |
| your favorite lucky dress on the day of your job | | | | There are times when the compulsions or the 'rituals' |
| interview will give you the confidence that you need | | | | doesn't have anything to do with the obsessions or |
| to make a good impression. The same is true when | | | | fear. For example, if things on the desk are not |
| your mother always checks the flat iron or oven | | | | arranged properly, something bad will happen to a |
| before leaving for work. Many of us have little | | | | loved one. the oddity of the rituals and fear are so |
| superstitions and rituals that help us to become | | | | obvious that many people try to keep their OCD to |
| productive and produce positive results. However, | | | | themselves. When people with OCD perform a |
| when these 'rituals' are taken to extremes and begin | | | | compulsion or 'ritual', they feel a sense of relief. |
| to affect normal daily function, it becomes a problem. | | | | Unfortunately, performing these so-called 'rituals' only |
| When you start feeling that something will really go | | | | provides temporary relief, but significantly increases |
| wrong simply because you are not wearing your | | | | the anxiety or the obsession. Resisting compulsion |
| favorite lucky shirt; and that you feel you have to | | | | can be extremely difficult. |
| wear it to prevent something from going wrong --- | | | | Although doctors and scientists still don't know the |
| you may already be obsessed with that shirt. When | | | | real cause of OCD, recent research has shown that |
| your mother has to return home even if she's | | | | OCD is related to levels of a normal chemical in the |
| already outside the door just to check if the flat iron | | | | brain called serotonin. When the proper flow of |
| was unplugged when she already did that three times | | | | serotonin is blocked, the brain's "alarm system" |
| before --- she, too, could be suffering from | | | | overreacts and misinterprets information. Instead of |
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. | | | | the brain filtering out these unnecessary thoughts, |
| OCD is a mental health condition that creates a | | | | the mind dwells on them and irrational fear and doubt |
| strong sense of uncertainty, doubt, anxiety, or fear | | | | is experienced by the person. |
| in a person's mind and triggers rituals like re-checking | | | | There is a strong evidence that OCD can be |
| and re-doing. Although sometimes, everyone may | | | | hereditary. Most people with OCD have one or |
| feel anxious, fearful, or worried, these normal | | | | more family members having anxiety disorders |
| emotions and reactions help people protect | | | | influenced by the brain's serotonin levels. For this |
| themselves, stay safe, and solve problems. These | | | | reason, scientists have come to believe that the |
| feelings usually don't last long and don't come too | | | | tendency or predisposition for a person to develop |
| often. In the case of people with | | | | the serotonin imbalance that causes OCD can be |
| obsessive-compulsive disorder, these feelings are | | | | inherited through a person's genes. However, having |
| taken to extremes as if the brain does not recognize | | | | the genetic tendency doesn't mean people will |
| what's dangerous from what's not. There is a | | | | develop OCD right away. It only means that |
| constant and lingering stream of fear, doubt or | | | | chances are greater that they might. An imbalance |
| anxiety in the person's mind, instead of keeping | | | | of serotonin levels can also result in other types of |
| normal worry under control. | | | | anxiety or depression. Like any other illness, having |
| OCD is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by | | | | OCD is not a person's fault. The good news is, it can |
| recurrent, unwanted thoughts, known as obsessions, | | | | be treated with the help from a Psychologist or |
| and repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions or | | | | Psychiatrist. There is nothing to be embarrassed |
| 'rituals'. People with OCD are pre-occupied with | | | | about getting therapy treatments and counseling |
| persistent thoughts that bring fear or worry about | | | | from a psychologist or psychiatrist. A type of talk |
| something that might happen. These negative | | | | therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| thoughts and images are usually hard to shake off. | | | | offers specific methods, called exposure and ritual (or |
| They have strong urges to perform these rituals or | | | | response) prevention that helps people to learn to |
| repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, | | | | use the power of their own behavior to change their |
| checking, or cleaning with the hope of preventing or | | | | thoughts and feelings for the better. CBT actually |
| getting rid of obsessive negative thoughts. The | | | | helps "reset" the brain's mechanisms that trigger |
| obsessions and compulsions are sometimes related to | | | | obsessions and compulsions. It may seem hard to |
| each other. A person who worries (obsession) | | | | stop doing rituals at first but eventually,people will |
| about germs and about getting sick could have the | | | | begin to feel safe and stronger about dealing with |
| urges (compulsions) to wash hands or clean things | | | | their obsessions and compulsions. |
| often and repeatedly. They are too cautious to | | | | |