Obsessive Compulsive Disorder example essay topic

Quirky behavior or something more serious? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD affects nearly two to three percent of the U.S. population. OCD affects both males and females, but males start to show signs of OCD at an earlier age, between the ages of six and fifteen, while in females it tends to occur later. "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder". OCD". web (1 April 2000).

A good example of OCD can be viewed in the movie "As Good As It Gets". In this movie, Jack Nicholson plays a character who uses a bar of soap once, then throws it away, constantly checks the locks on doors to make sure they " re locked before leaving. He must sit at the same table, in the same restaurant and have the same waitress every day. If his routines are changed, in any way, it causes to have an anxiety attack. "OCD". web (29 March 2000).

Just being "quirky" or a "perfectionist" doesn't mean someone has OCD. Because people always get things done ahead of time, or have weird "obsessions", doesn't mean that they are Obsessive Compulsive it may be that they hold themselves to a higher standard of living. Only when the behaviors begin to interfere with everyday living, is it considered to be OCD". One of many causes of OCD is felt to be, an imbalance in serotonin, which is a chemical that occurs naturally in the brain and is believed to control the receptive behaviors. The belief is strengthened due to the fact that medication taken to enhance the action of serotonin appears to help the patients greatly. Childhood ailments, such as throat infections may induce OCD, also, genetic factors may play a role in the contraction of the disorder.

A study done at the MAYO clinic, is that, some people have a biological predisposition to react strongly to stress, a reaction that for some reason evokes the intrusive thoughts, anxieties and ritual characteristics of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder". OCD". web (29 March 200). There are a lot of different treatments for OCD. One of which is Behavior therapy. Behavior therapy helps a lot of people by exposing them to a feared object or obsession, while not allowing the person to do their anxiety-reducing compulsion.

An example of this would be making a person touch something that they considered to be contaminated, but not allowing them wash their hands afterwards. This type of treatment lasts about seven to ten weeks and has a 50 to 90 percent chance of improving the patients behavior. Another form of treatment is medication, such as Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, and Luvox. Paxil, or, is prescribed for depression and OCD. The usual dosage is about 20 to 50 mg a day. Its side-effects include somnolence, agitation, tremor, anxiety, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, asthenia, vomiting, abnormal ejaculation, changes in libido, and sweating.

"Paxil". web Prozac is an antidepressant, its generic name is. Ital so prescribed for the treatment of OCD and depression. The daily dosage is 20 mg to about 80 mg. The side-effects of this drug are the chills, anxiety, insomnia, drowsiness, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, decreased libido, abnormal ejaculation, diarrhea, dizziness and lightheadedness". Prozac". web Another drug is Zoloft, Zoloft's generic name is.

Itis an antidepressant that is chemically unrelated to tricyclic, , or other available antidepressant agents. The usual dosage for Zoloft is about 50 mg to 200 mg every day. The most common side-effects are dry mouth, sweating, dizziness, tremor, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and somnolence". Zoloft". web The last of the commonly prescribed drugs is Luvox, it is also called. It's indicated for the treatment of obsessions and compulsions in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

It " sal so approved for OCD in children and adolescents. The daily dose range is 100 to 300 mg a day, and the common side-effects are nausea, insomnia nervousness, abnormal ejaculation, and sweating. In children and adolescents, the most common side-effects are agitation and hyperkinesia". Luvox". web When families have to deal with loved ones with OCD, they tend to get angered at the fact that their loved one cannot control their rituals. But eventually they learn to try and help, instead of trying to change them. By just small praises and lowering your expectations for how much they change can help the person out a lot.

Just by cutting down hand washing, as an example, by 10 minutes a day may be insignificant to their family, but a giant step for them". OCD". web (2 April 2000). Not everyone with OCD has bad problems. Some people can go to a psychologist, talk to them and take their medication and be completely fine, while others have to go through a lot more counseling and take many prescriptions. But with enough treatment almost everyone with OCD can be helped, and live a happy and normal life".

A lot of people think they have OCD when in actuality, they are only doing things that seem a little weird, or out of the ordinary. That doesn't necessarily mean that you are obsessive or compulsive. If people check the light switches or the stove a lot to make sure it's off before you leave, they may just be worried about or stressed about something else. When someone washes their hands 200 hundred times a day, or constantly counting things, like stripes on clothes or the cracks in the sidewalk, those are typical compulsions with obsessive people. Many people with OCD refuse to admit that they have it, or they know they do and try and to hide it from their friends and family.

If someone has the disorder, they should get help as soon as possible. If no steps are taken to help the people with the disorder, they will only get worse and worse with time. People are afraid or ashamed to admit that they need help, the main reason is because it is something that the people can not control. With out proper help, the people with the disorder will go on through life still not knowing how to handle themselves. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a very serious disease, it isn't a very well-known topic, and people should learn more about it. It affects a lot more people than everyone thinks, but with the proper treatment and counseling the people who live with OCD can continue to live happier and without fear or shame of the unknown.

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Bibliography

OCD" web (29 March 2000).
Paxil". web "Prozac". web "Zoloft". web "Luvox". web "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder". web (2 April 2000).