Obsessive Compulsive DisorderEssay Preview: Obsessive Compulsive DisorderReport this essayMany of us have recurrent thoughts or worries, some people perform repetitive routines that might seem unreasonable; however, because these ideas, thoughts, and habits do not last long and on the whole do not cause distress and dysfunction, they are not classified as obsessions. On the other hand, for individuals with obsessive- compulsive disorder, these worries and concerns resulting in compulsions, can go as far as taking over a persons life. These persistent obsessions can impair a persons ability to function, limit their behavior, and result in them feeling miserable (Holmes, 2001). Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, “OCD is one of the most incapacitating of the anxiety disorders” (Doron et.al. 2007)
The Relationship of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to the Health of the Child (1)
Obsessive compulsive behaviors are more frequently associated with cognitive and physiological changes, such as reduced heart rates and less muscle strength, which ultimately lead to poor heart function.
A series of studies also confirm a connection between obsessive compulsive disorder and poor quality of life. For instance, researchers at The Mayo Clinic documented significant results of having 2 children with a history of obsessive compulsive disorder. The researchers noticed that, at age 14, children with obsessive-compulsive disorder had significantly lower overall life satisfaction compared with children with no history. By age 10, they had had a 3.3 year increase in the rate of weight. During the same time period, children with other obsessive compulsive characteristics were significantly more likely to have a high blood pressure. Further research is needed to substantiate this link and to show that children with obsessive compulsive disorder have other potential health issues.
In addition, the correlation between history of compulsive compulsive disorder, poor quality of life, and poor health outcomes among the children is consistent with the finding that children with obsessive compulsive disorder have more frequent and severe mental health issues. These children may live longer, but have lower academic attainment, and are less likely to participate in social activities of any kind. As the researchers put it, “[l]ewis must be assessed, because there will be other factors affecting the children.” As noted above, these parents, grandparents, and grandparents-all seem to have children affected by compulsions and obsessions and may make certain compulsions and obsessions more painful, and therefore more likely to occur.
The Research
In order to address the question of whether children with obsessive compulsive disorder are having a greater or greater health issue, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate current and future health problems among children with OCD. One of the most recently undertaken studies examined a population of more than 5,000 children with OCD, among whom is the question of whether children with OCD are experiencing a greater number of health problems. Among the study participants in the study, 5.5% reported being suffering or having problems with a specific medical condition with a history of compulsive compulsive disorder, as documented in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prescription drug database. This compares with 0.5% of the general population and 1% of those living with OCD. The researchers concluded that the study participants were not only having problems with symptoms, but having problems with function and health issues stemming from compulsive disorders. Additionally, the authors found that the children have no control over their physical, behavioral, and mental health, with compulsive disorder typically being associated with a reduced number of physical, social, and behavioral health problems due to cognitive impairment, as well as their poor health. Furthermore, the authors concluded that the children may have a mental health issue that might lead them to overcompensate for their activities and to not follow social and lifestyle guidelines.
Clinical Implications of the Investigation
As noted earlier, the above factors suggest that compulsive disorders are likely to produce changes in health, with a substantial connection to chronic health conditions. However, due to the relatively high numbers of children exposed
Individuals, who are diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, have either obsessions, compulsions or both. In persons who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety is caused by the recurrent ideas, thoughts, or impulses, in other words called obsessions. Some common obsessions are of doubt, thoughts of death or violence, fear of becoming ill or of contamination. In contrast, compulsions are repetitive behaviors that the individual performs due to the belief that if they do not do that ritual, something terrible will result (Stein, 2002). It is important to note, that people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, are often aware of the irrationality of their behavior; however, they feel compelled to carry out the compulsion in order to temporarily alleviate the extreme anxiety they are feeling (Holmes, 2001).
An example of an individual with obsessive- compulsive disorder, who is extremely anxious about being contaminated, can be seen from a protagonist of the film Aviator, Howard Hughes. This film is a perfect illustration of obsessive-compulsive disorder becoming self-destructing for the person. The protagonists extreme fear of being contaminated by germs led to
his inability to leave his home and go out in public. Hughes locks himself inside his home thereby insuring no contact with the outside world. Obsessive-compulsive disorder completely took over his life and left Hughes debilitated due to the lack of treatment. For many years, obsessive-compulsive disorder was considered a rare condition; however, now days it is viewed as one of the prevalent and severely disabling mental disorders.
Studies indicate a lifetime prevalence of 2.5% in adults, affecting males and females at the same ratio, which seems to be the same across different cultures (DSM VI -TR). The disorder may begin in childhood, although it is known to begin its occurrence in early adulthood. Which proposes the question, of what seems to explain the onset of this mental disorder? Or in other words why do some people develop obsessions and/or compulsions that tremendously heighten the anxiety and create a call for its immediate neutralization to avoid a horrible consequence?
The cognitive and the physiological explanations for obsessive-compulsive disorder seem to be most plausible. The cognitive explanation states that compulsions are a result of the incorrect beliefs that something bad will happen to the person unless they carry out the ritual (Riskind & Rector, 2007). The treatment that was found to be very effective for treating obsessive- compulsive disorder, is a procedure called exposure and response prevention, which is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. This treatment is essentially, exposing a person to a situation in which he/she would feel the need to perform the compulsion and preventing one from carrying it out. One can see why this is a very effective way of changing the incorrect beliefs, this is due to the fact that a patient has an opportunity to see that there are no negative consequences even thought the compulsion was not performed. This form of cognitive behavior therapy exposes the person to the anxiety provoking situation and can result in enlightenment that there is nothing to be afraid of.
Another treatment that produces great results is the use of antidepressant drugs that increase the level of serotonin. For the most severe cases, at times surgery known as cingulotonomy is performed, where small lesions are formed in the nerve tract that connects lower structures in the brain. However, even this operation is about fifty percent effective. What is particularly interesting is a case of man who developed obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result of a brain tumor (Holmes, 2001). This example indicates the validity of the physiological explanation for the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder; therefore, a conclusion that can be made is that with proper medication and cognitive behavior therapy, individuals obsessive-compulsive disorder can be more or less stabilized. Furthermore, during the last twenty years, a lot of research has been devoted to gaining “knowledge about cognitive processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder”, which might be important implications for treatment (Aardema & OConnor, 2007).
Aardema and OConnor (2007) argue that the problem is not the intrusions that the person is experiencing, but that the person places significance on them, evaluates, and appraises these thoughts. Specifically, Aardema and OConnor state that even though