TOPIC: OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

LEVEL: Intermediate X

STUDENT: QUIÑONES CÁCERES, Pamela

ROOM TEACHER: SALAZAR SAGASTEGUI, Helen

August 2019
 INTRODUCTION

Is very important to know about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder because is a common

mental illness and can appear at any age.

A psychological disorder could be defined as a set of problems, which cause significant

difficulty, anguish, deterioration or suffering in the daily life of a person.
Is a disease that alters the physical or mental functioning; they can take a long time and
complicate the normal functioning of a person. Because of nature of the disorders is flexible,
it may not be evident in all situations and that may affect one individual may not be as
problematic for another in the same situation, any disorder may be expressed in different
ways depending on the person. There are hundreds of mental disorders that all we could
suffer.

A disorder can be persistent, recurrent and remitting, it is not unusual for the symptoms to
increase and decrease over time, with an increase in severity in times of stress, work, in
university or in relationships.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 26% people in the world suffer from a
mental disorder and in Peru around 43% people.
 OBSESSIVE- COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder in which people have

thoughts, ideas or unwanted recurring sensations that make them feel compelled to do
something repetitively, so the person is caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.

Most people have obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors at some point in their lives
that does not mean that we all have "some OCD." These thoughts do not disrupt everyday
life, for people with OCD, thoughts are persistent, unwanted routines and behaviors are
causing great distress. Many people with OCD know or suspect that their obsessions are not
true; others may think they could be true. Even if they know that their obsessions are not
true, people with OCD have a hard time keeping their focus away from obsessions or
stopping compulsive actions. This cycle of obsessions and compulsions becomes so extreme
that it consumes a lot of time and hinders the important activities.

Usually, OCD does not happen all at once. The symptoms begin little by little and they may
seem normal behaviors. They can be triggered by a personal crisis, abuse or something
negative that affects a lot, such as the death of a loved one.

The OCD affects people of all ages, but the average age at which the symptoms appear is 19
years.

1. Risk Factors:

1.1 Genetics: The risk is higher if a close relative developed Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder when was a child or teen.
1.2 Brain Structure and Functioning: Studies have shown differences in the frontal cortex
and subcortical structures of the brain in patients with Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder.
1.3 Environment: People who have experienced abuse or physical injury are in risk of
developing this mental health disorder.

2. Symptoms: It's possible to just have obsessive thoughts or compulsions, but most people
with OCD will experience both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life
such as work, school and personal relationships.
 2.1 Obsession: When an unwanted, intrusive and often distressing thought, image or urge
repeatedly enters your mind. Cause such deep anguish and despair, the people try to
resist them but returns in a short period of time, often lasting hours or days, which
can leave the person mentally and physically exhausted.
2.2 Anxiety: Intense, excessive and continuous worry and fear in everyday situations. It
is possible that it can cause agitated breathing and feeling tired.
2.3 Compulsion: It is a behavior or mental act that becomes a repetitive ritual without
having a clear purpose
2.4 Temporary relief: The compulsive behavior temporarily relieves the anxiety, but
soon returns, causing the cycle to begin again.

3. Some Common Obsessions in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:

3.1 Cleaning: Reduce the fear that germs, dirt, or chemicals may contaminate, some
people spend many hours washing themselves or cleaning their surroundings.
3.2 Checking: Reduce the fear of harming oneself or others, for example, forgetting to
lock the door or turn off the gas stove. Some people repeatedly retrace driving routes
to be sure they haven’t hit anyone.
3.3 Ordering: Reduce discomfort, some people like to put objects, such as books in a
certain order or arrange household items in a symmetric way.
3.4 Harm: Fear of being responsible for something terrible happening or harming others
because of not being careful enough.
3.5 Accumulation: The person has the need to keep all kinds of elements attending to
their possible use in the future. They can accumulate a lot of unnecessary things like
old newspapers, empty bottles or cardboard boxes.
3.6 Mental compulsions: They are thoughts or mental acts that, like observable behavior,
are performed to neutralize or reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. It is
common to repeat words, phrases or numbers in order to relieve the anguish.

4. Treatment:

4.1 Cognitive: One effective treatment is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy

known as exposure and response prevention. During treatment sessions, patients are
exposed to the situations that create anxiety and provoke compulsive behavior.
Thought exposure, patients learn to decrease and then stop the rituals that consume
their lives. They find that the anxiety arising from their obsessions lessens.
 This technique works well for patients whose compulsions focus on situations that
can be re-created easily.
Can help many Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder patients substantially reduce their
symptoms. However, treatment only works if patients adhere to the procedures.
Some patients will not agree to participate in cognitive-behavioral therapy because
of the anxiety it involves.

4.2 Medication:

4.2.1 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Relieve the symptoms of

depression and anxiety

4.2.2 Anxiolytic: Relieves anxiety, tension and can promote sleep.

4.2.3 Antidepressant: Prevent depression and improve mood.

Patients with OCD who have received appropriate treatment have shown to have
increased quality of life and improved functioning. Successful treatment may
improve the individual's ability to attend school, work, develop and enjoy
relationships and pursue leisure activities.

4.3 Self- help and Coping: Keeping a healthy lifestyle and being aware of warning signs
and what to do if they return can help in coping with OCD and related disorders. Also,
using basic relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, visualization, and massage,
can help ease the stress and anxiety caused by OCD.
 CONCLUSIONS

 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a complex disease influenced by factors genetic

and environmental factors that interact with each other and that can interfere with the
risk of develop it in a person previously vulnerable.

 It is considered as one of the most disabling anxious disorders in any age group, so,
an adequate evaluation is indispensable to be able to make an accurate diagnosis and,
in this way, to fully treat said pathology.

 The subjects diagnosed develop abnormal obsessive ad compulsive behaviors, when

subjected to psychometric tests it is noted depression, anxiety, general psychic
suffering with serious obsessive characteristics, excessive worries, frequently think
about suicide, introverts and distant.

 About the depressive symptomatology is of a light intensity, stand out the

hypochondria, that is to say, presence of an internal attributive style with pessimism,
feeling of failure, dissatisfaction and feeling of guilt.