Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Research Paper Example

Depending on the severity of the problem, professionals choose an appropriate means of treatment of OCD among cognitive-behavioural therapy, pharmacotherapy, and neurosurgery; the latter is regarded as less effective. Overall, obsessive compulsive disorder is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, which means it requires more attention on the part of specialists as well as patients’ families. Obsessive compulsive disorder (abbreviated and usually used as OCD) is an anxiety disorder which is characterized by “recurrent obsessions and / or compulsions that interfere substantially with daily functioning” (Foa & Franklin, 2001).

In this context, obsessions are defined as recurrent and unwanted thoughts, images or impulses which cause great anxiety. Individuals with OCD try to suppress and ignore these thoughts with other actions and / or thoughts, and they recognize the fact that the ideas and thoughts are only products of their mind (Abramowitz, Taylor & McKey, 2009). Among the most wide-spread obsessions are fear to causing harm to other people, fear of contamination, fear of behaving in an inappropriate way, fear of harm coming to self, fear of making a mistake, religious, sexual obsessions etc.

(Heyman, Mataix-Cols & Fineberg, 2006). Compulsions are defined as repetitive mental acts or behaviours a person, who suffers from OCD, performs in response to obsession with the aim to prevent some daunting event or to reduce distress (Abramowitz, Taylor & McKey, 2009). The most common compulsions as the following ones: cleaning, hoarding, checking, handwashing, ordering and arranging, asking for reassurance (behaviours); ruminations, repeating words silently, counting (mental acts) (Heyman, Mataix-Cols & Fineberg, 2006).

In accordance with Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu (1997), there are two groups of symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder,