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Cindy Sernas
Psychology 1010
(OCD) is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable,
reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to
repeat over and over. People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both.
These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal
relationships. This is just a summary of this mental health disorder and how it can be seen and
how it effects someones life. But OCD does not have a direct cause or a certain age it effects
people. It could be a combination of causes and it is also seen in all ages. It can be mild or even
There are various developmental factors which may include emotional, physical, and
sexual abuse or neglect, social isolation, teasing, or bullying. It is seen as a brain disorder,
research suggests that OCD involves problems in communication between the front part of the
brain and the deeper structures of the brain. These brain structures use a neurotransmitter called
serotonin. This idea arose out of the observation that clomipramine, which inhibits both
It can be inherited, research also shows that OCD does run in families, and that genes likely play
a role in the development of the disorder. Genes appear to be only partly responsible for causing
OCD IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES 3
the disorder, though. OCD is also seen as comorbid disorder associated with depression, social
phobia, alcohol misuse, specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, and other related
obsessive-compulsive disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder. There are also stressors that
can cause OCD such as pregnancy and the postnatal period. Examples of postnatal obsessions
are worries about harming or abusing the baby or not being careful enough. Common avoidance
behavior and compulsions include hiding knives, repeatedly seeking reassurance, or checking
OCD usually begins before age 25 years and often in childhood or adolescence. Although
OCD can occur at any age, there are generally two age ranges when OCD tends to first appears.
Between the ages 8 and 12 and between the late teen years and early adulthood. There are also at
least 1 in 200 or 500,000 kids and teens that have OCD. This is about the same number of
kids who have diabetes. In adults, it is estimated that 1 in 100 adults have OCD in the United
States alone.
onset and fluctuating symptoms of OCD or a broader set of neuropsychiatric symptoms, and it
may be mediated by autoimmune antibodies in the basal ganglia after a streptococcal infection.
As mentioned before OCD can be severe when it is combined with another mental
disorder that is characterized by both motor and phonic tics. In TS, tics typically begin at age 5
or 6 years and reach their peak severity between 10 and 12 years of age. It has been studied to
conclude that Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms in children with TS became more severe
at a later age and were more likely to persist than tic symptoms.
In most cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the symptoms are seen gradually. A child begins
to experience fears that are disturbing and distracting. They try to hide it as long as they can by
managing them with rituals like counting and touching things repeatedly. Eventually, the
obsessions and compulsions take over more and more. With acute-onset OCD the symptoms are
look like scribbles, has trouble eating, emotionally erratic and panic attacks.
Traditionally it has been thought that there are four main categories of Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder, as well as numerous sub-types of the illness within each category. However, typically
a persons OCD will fall into one of the following four areas: checking, contamination / mental
and compulsions consume excessive amounts of time, cause significant distress and anguish and
interfere with daily functions; or interfere with social activities/ family life/relationships. It can
There is no direct cause of obsessive compulsive disorder but what has been found is that
it is either a combination of many causes or one specific cause. It can be inherited or caused by
developmental factors which may include emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect, social
isolation, teasing, or bullying. It is also seen in all ages but seen in children more often as well as
OCD IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES 5
the representation of PANDAS. There are also four areas in OCD where the symptoms can be
seen which is checking, contamination, hoarding and intrusive thoughts. How severe this mental
disorder is, is all depending on how it is treated and how other factors come in to play (for
example if a child also experiences Tourettes). I would like to learn more about the treatments
they offer people with OCD and if there can be a possible cure. Learning about this information I
really got to learn about the symptoms of OCD and how common it is in children. This is
something that I will keep in mind if I ever decide to have children of my own. I have more
knowledge in regards of how it can affect people in their daily and how it can make it difficult.
Having knowledge in any type of mental disorder can be helpful when trying to get to know the
person.
OCD IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES 6
Reference List
doi:10.1007/springerreference_180349
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Weg, A. H. (2011). When a Child Has OCD. OCD Treatment Through Storytelling, 130-141.
doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780195383560.003.0006
The Different Types of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from
https://www.ocduk.org/types-ocd