A Family Doctor's Tale - OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

DOC I HAVE OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Obsessions are defined as the persistent recurrent ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that are voluntarily produced but invade the consciousness of the affected person.


It is a psychological problem with patient becoming so conscious with his or her obsession that he or she becomes not interested in any else.


This condition is more prevalent in women than in men.


Onset usually occur in the second or third decade of life.

Compulsions are repetitive and seemingly purposeful behaviors performed accordingly to certain rules or in a stereotyped fashion.


Patients most of the time realize that they have such an obsession or compulsion but are unable to control them.

There is no organic demonstrable cause to the illness.
The disease may present in a mild form and may be exeraberated by some trivial incident.
Development conflicts may sometimes lead to obsession and compulsion behavior.

Symptoms:
thoughts of violence or contamination
thoughts of weight loss
mounting anxiety with some efforts to resist obsessive or compulsive behavior
common compulsive behabiors:
hand washing(contamination)
counting
touching
repetitive checking of locked doors
Associated with depression

Diagnosis:
neurological examination
psychological and psychiatric assessment

Treatment:
Alteration of lifestyle and job to reduce anxiety
Psychotherapy focused on explanation of immediate problems
Correction and modification of behavior
Use of antidepressant and serotonin blockers

Prognosis
Good in mild cases
Varies with severity
Rituals in obsessive behavior partially allay anxiety
Rarely requires hospitalization