Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition characterised by frequent intrusive and obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions. OCD affects around 1.2% of the population from young children to adults.
Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. Obsessive thoughts are especially overwhelming because unlike other distressing thoughts they are experienced as ego-dystonic; they are completely out of alignment with the patient's self image and values. They are not simply excessive worries about everyday problems. Usually, the person attempts to suppress the thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with another thought or action. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts are a product of his own mind and not imposed from without as in psychotic thought insertion.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours such as hand washing, ordering, checking. They can also be mental acts like praying, counting, repeating words silently. The person feels compelled to perform them in response to an obsessive thought or according to a set of rules that have been developed and must be applied rigidly. The compulsions are aimed at neutralising distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. These behaviours or mental acts however increase anxiety rather than decrease it and set up further patterns of obsessive thinking.
Therapy for OCD
NICE guidelines recommend psychotherapy; usually cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT might involve elements of exposure and response prevention as the first-line treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD ). The use of normalizing strategies and identification and re-appraisal of the core beliefs motivating obsessive compulsive behaviour are also emphasised as ways of enabling patients to choose to change. Exploring the meaning and relevance of the symptoms within the context of general life is highly favourable but usually after some control over the symptoms has been achieved.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition characterised by frequent intrusive and obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions. OCD affects around 1.2% of the population from young children to adults.
Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. Obsessive thoughts are especially overwhelming because unlike other distressing thoughts they are experienced as ego-dystonic; they are completely out of alignment with the patient's self image and values. They are not simply excessive worries about everyday problems. Usually, the person attempts to suppress the thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with another thought or action. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts are a product of his own mind and not imposed from without as in psychotic thought insertion.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours such as hand washing, ordering, checking. They can also be mental acts like praying, counting, repeating words silently. The person feels compelled to perform them in response to an obsessive thought or according to a set of rules that have been developed and must be applied rigidly. The compulsions are aimed at neutralising distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. These behaviours or mental acts however increase anxiety rather than decrease it and set up further patterns of obsessive thinking.
Therapy for OCD
NICE guidelines recommend psychotherapy; usually cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT might involve elements of exposure and response prevention as the first-line treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD ). The use of normalizing strategies and identification and re-appraisal of the core beliefs motivating obsessive compulsive behaviour are also emphasised as ways of enabling patients to choose to change. Exploring the meaning and relevance of the symptoms within the context of general life is highly favourable but usually after some control over the symptoms has been achieved.