Obsessive-Complusive PD - Essay Example

Most of their waking hours are spent in worrying about unwanted thoughts and mental images (Hyman & Pedrick, 2009, p.7). People suffering from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are incapable of leading a normal life as their obsession draws most of their energy, and most of their actions are influenced by their obsessions. Hence, the only way to cure the Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is to manage the obsessive thoughts through different psychological therapies, as only by managing and understanding the nature of obsessive and compulsive thoughts can one manage the obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Definition To understand OCD, it is important to define the words ‘obsession’ and ‘compulsion’. DSM-IV (1994) defines obsession as “persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress” (Jakes, 1996, p.6). DSM-IV (1994) defines compulsions as “the repetitive behavior and mental acts” which are intended “to remove anxiety or distress and not to provide pleasure or gratification” (Jakes, 1996, p.6). Hence, according to DSM-IV (1994), OCD can be diagnosed when the excessiveness and the unreasonable nature of the obsessive and compulsive behavior and thoughts is realized by the people suffering from it (Jakes, 1996, p.6). .

To cure OCD, it is necessary to understand the cause of it. Nature Of OCD Researches in past 60 years have found that OCD is a disorder that depends on different factors (Pauls, Alsobrook, Goodman, Rasmussen & Leckman, 1995, p.76), and hence, it is not easy to reach the conclusion regarding its nature. Familial history was found to be factor in some cases of OCD, while in other cases, there was no evidence of familial history (Pauls et al., 1995, p.76). This shows that the basis of OCD is still controversial.

It was widely believed that the genes are responsible for the OCD in human beings (Arnold & Richter, 2001, p. 1353). However, no specific genetic factor has been identified as responsible for OCD (Arnold & Richter, 2001, p. 1353). This led the researchers to believe that when the “underlying genetic susceptibility” interacts with the environmental risk factors, then it results in obsessive-compulsive behavior pattern and leads to development of OCD in that person (Arnold & Richter, 2001, p. 1353). Hence, it is very necessary to detect the OCD as soon as the symptoms start appearing in a person.

However, it has been found that most of the times, OCD goes undetected. OCD is not common in young children (Heyman, Fombonne, Simmons, Ford, Meltzer & Goodman, 2001, p.324). However, the rate of OCD in young adults in their puberty has been found to be increasing (Heyman et al., 2001, p.324). Hence, it is important to detect OCD early to manage it in behavior. Researches in many countries have revealed that one out of every forty people suffer from OCD (Hyman & Pedrick, 2009, p.17). OCD develops gradually in personality (Hyman & Pedrick, 2009, p.19). However, an unexpected distressing event in