Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Becky Shawnee

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What is OCD?

• Is an anxiety disorder that effects 1-2 of the
  population
• They experience obsessions and compulsions
• Obsessions unwanted thoughts, images or
  impulses that cause a lot of stress and anxiety
• Compulsions are behaviours or acts that are
  carried out to reduce the anxiety

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What is OCD?

• OCD can be different from person to person
• Some cases of OCD can not be treated as well as
  others
• OCD affects every part of a person's life
• Can occur at any age but often before the age of
  40

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Causes of OCD

• Behavioural Theory - Suggests that people with
  OCD associate certain objects or situations with
  fear, and that they learn to avoid the things
  they fear or to perform rituals that help reduce
  the fear
• Cognitive Theory - The cognitive theory focuses
  on how people with OCD misinterpret their
  thoughts and feelings

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Causes of OCD

• Genetics
• Often runs in the family (half of the recorded
  cases show this pattern)
• Research studies report that parents, siblings
  and children of a person with OCD have a greater
  chance of developing OCD than someone with no
  family history of the disorder.
• A commonly asked question is if OCD can be
  learned by another person
• Researchers have looked for certain genes that
  may be linked to OCD, but have not been able to
  find any
• It is believed, however there may be genes that
  are involved in regulating serotonin, and passed
  on through the generations.

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Causes of OCD

• Serotonin
• Research have revealed a link between OCD and
  insufficient levels of a brain chemical called
  serotonin.
• Serotonin is one of the brain's chemical
  messengers that transmit signals between the
  brain cells.
• Serotonin plays a role in the regulation of mood,
  aggression, impulse control, sleep, appetite,
  body temperature and pain.
• All of the medications used to treat OCD raise
  the levels of serotonin available to transmit
  messages.

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Symptoms

• Obsessions
• Contamination
• Repeated Doubting
• Ordering
• Religious
• Aggressive
• Sexual

• Compulsions
• Cleaning/Washing
• Checking
• Arranging/Ordering
• Hoarding

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Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

• The most widely practised behaviour therapy for
  OCD is called exposure and response prevention
• There are two components
• Exposure Treatment
• Response Prevention Treatment
• Treatment starts with exposure to situations that
  cause the least anxiety
• As the patient overcomes these, they move on to
  situations that cause more anxiety

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ERP

• Exposure Treatment
• Controlled exposure (direct or imagined) to
  objects or situations that trigger obsessions
  while raising anxiety levels
• Over time the exposure leads to less anxiety and
  over a long period of time it leads to very
  little anxiety at all

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ERP

• Response Prevention Treatment
• The ritual behaviours that people with OCD engage
  in to reduce anxiety
• Patients learn to resist the compulsion to
  perform rituals and are eventually able to stop
  engaging in these behaviours

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Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors - SRI

• Type of antidepressant
• Main function is to increase levels of serotonin
  in the brain
• Take one a day
• Doses can change as time goes on
• Over time, OCD becomes less intense and happens
  less often

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SRI

• SRIs wont always work for everyone
• Not uncommon for someone to try 2 or 3 SRI drugs
  before finding one that works best
• Most people try at least 3 SRI drugs before
  considering other types of medication

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Other Medications

• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
• The monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are
  effective antidepressants
• The two MAOIs available are phenelzine (Nardil)
  and tranylcipramine (Parnate). Both are less
  effective against obsession than SRIs, and both
  have more complicated side-effects
• The MAOIs are used to treat OCD only when SRI
  medications fail

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Recovery

• Therapy and medication only help the symptoms of
  OCD
• It often takes a person time to get back onto a
  regular schedule
• OCD may disrupt ability to function at work, in
  social situations and in the family
• Once the symptoms of OCD improve, and after
  attempting to return to a normal life, addressing
  the practical and emotional issues can be
  difficult

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Recovery

• OCD can lower a person's self-confidence, making
  the person feel insecure and vulnerable in
  situations that were once familiar and
  comfortable
• Can cause people to become dependent on those
  around them
• People are often surprised at how frightened they
  are at the thought of being independent and
  resuming their responsibilities
• These reactions are a normal part of the recovery

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Recovery

• Recovery is a process
• At first, the person should ease into familiar
  activities with modest expectations.
• Slowly take on responsibilities and build their
  self-confidence.

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Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

• The majority of people with OCPD do not have OCD
• These disorders are commonly confused
• People with OCPD have personality traits
  reflecting extreme perfectionism, indecision,
  preoccupation with details and rules, and must
  have things their way with family, friends and
  colleagues
• They are over-conscientious and show little
  expression, affection or enjoyment with others

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Conclusion

• In conclusion, OCD is a tough disorder to live
  with. We all may think that OCD can have an easy
  fix, and that it really isnt that hard to live
  with. But, the reality is that it is not, as it
  affects almost every aspect of the persons life,
  whether it be interactions with family or
  friends, or simple everyday tasks that we all
  take for granted.

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Sources

• http//allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html
• http//www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid3-94-
  95
• http//www.ocdcanada.com/
• http//www.anxietybc.com/resources/ocd.php
• http//www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/
  Mental_Health_Information/OCD/index.html
• http//www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-co
  mpulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
• http//anxiety.stjoes.ca/obsessive.htm
• http//www.ocdontario.org/
• http//www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/factsheet
  s/ocd