Obessive compulsive Disorder- and how it affects daily life - Research Paper Example

OCD is a disorder of anxiety, characterized by unwanted, uncontrollable thoughts, and ritualized, repetitive behavior that makes the affected person to feel as if they cannot perform. A person with such symptoms also feels that he cannot break free or resist from them. Like a needle that is stuck on old records, OCD sticks the brain to a particular urge or thought (National Institute for Mental Health 231). For example, Joe, an accountant in a certain firm keeps looking at clients books, now and then, because he fears that he might have missed something or done a mathematical error.

Consequently, this has lowered his productivity so much that the management has issued him with warnings severally, but he just can’t avoid it. OCD is a disease that cripples both physically and mentally. Though there are no physical signs, it eats in every wake moment but many people suffer alone and in silence, as they are ashamed to share it with anyone, but its effects on the victim’s body are normally unbearable. Millions of people are affected on their daily basis as they struggle to carry out their daily tasks that many of us take for granted.

Imagine a person arriving at his work place and immediately start worrying that he may not have locked the doors or windows. This person may be forced to go back home now and again to ensure that everything is okay. This then affects their work productivity besides fatigue. Differences between Obsessions and Compulsions Obsessions are uncontrollable involuntary thoughts, impulses or images that occur again and again in our minds. No matter how much you don’t want to have such thoughts or ideas because you know very well that they don’t make sense, you just can’t stop them.

Unfortunately, they are distracting and disturbing. On the other hand, compulsions are rituals or behavior that drives someone into do something now and then. These are mainly done in an attempt to do away with obsessions. For example, someone who fears contamination may develop cleaning rituals that are very elaborate. However, the relief does not last because the obsessive thoughts always come back. Compulsive behavior normally causes anxiety as they become more time consuming and demanding.

People with OCD are grouped into several categories. These are; washers, who fear contamination and therefore develops hand-washing or cleaning compulsions. Checkers keep checking at things they associate with danger or harm. Sinners and doubters are usually afraid that if something is not perfectly done, something bad might happen, whiles arrangers and counters are symmetry obsessed that develop superstitions about certain arrangements, colors or numbers. Hoarders are obsessed by fear of something bad happening if they throw away anything.

Therefore, they hoard things they neither use nor need. Causes of OCD Scientists and doctors have not yet discovered what really causes OCD. However, recent research has explained better OCD understanding together with its potential causes. Experts believe that OCD is related to serotin levels, a normal brain chemical. Blockage of serotin’s normal flow the alarm system of the brain misinterprets and overreacts to this information. Messages of danger are triggered mistakenly by such false alarms making the brain to dwell on them, instead of instead of filtering them out.

This makes the person to experience doubt and fear that is unrealistic. OCD is caused by strong worry or anxiety that acts like an alarm