Post 3: Getting to Know OCD

In the previous post I briefly explained what OCD is. In this post I would like to explain the different types of OCD and who gets OCD and Why.

What OCD Looks Like:

Like explained before OCD is a complex condition with a variety of symptoms and types. A person with OCD has obsessive thoughts that are followed up with compulsive actions. In other words, OCD begins with irrational thoughts or doubts that can be soothed by certain rituals such as hand washing, checking, and hoarding. Below is a list of rituals expressed by people with OCD.

·         Compulsive hand washing - this ritual is brought on by thoughts of being dirty or worrying about germs.

·         Compulsive ordering and symmetry obsessions- this ritual is brought on by thoughts of things not "feeling right."

·         Hoarding- this ritual is brought on by thoughts of "what if" what if I need it, or it has sentimental value to it, which leads to what if get rid of the object I will have to get rid of the memory.

Who Gets OCD and Why?

Who-

One person in forty suffers from CCD. Symptoms can appear anytime in ones life span, but most commonly show up in childhood. The first symptoms that come about in childhood is repetitive touching, tapping, or counting behaviors, or have obsessions with dirt or being dirty. OCD is not biased; it affects people in every society, religion, race, and gender.

Why-

First and foremost, although there has been many theories and research that has taken place, the reason of OCD is still not clear. It was once thought that OCD came into play because of bad parenting and or toilet training, but that is not the case. The most recent research and evidence say that OCD is inherited. OCD has also been linked in children to different environmental factors such as experiencing death, illness, and or divorce at an early age.

So with that said, with the current research and evidence OCD is a result to genetics and environmental aspects.

So with that said, now you have some idea of what OCD, who gets OCD, and why people get it. Now you are probably wondering how this applies to me. Well, like I said before I have OCD, I believe I was born with it and I still struggle with it today. In my next post I will explain my story of OCD. I will give you the how, why, and what of my OCD.

Resources:
Dufrene, B., & Hyman, B. (2008). Coping with ocd. Oakland: New  Harbinger

              Publications, Inc.

Post 2: What is OCD

What do Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Billy Bob Thornton, Cameron Diaz, and Howe Mandel have in common? They all have and suffer with OCD. Would you have known that if I told you that. Would you have guessed that I have OCD? Probably not!  OCD is, what I like to call the undercover defect of the mind. OCD has been called many things but the most clear name or expression for OCD that I have heard is this “OCD is like your own mind is at war with itself “ (Dufrene &Hyman, 2008).

Watch this brief video, it shows how ones brain really is at war with itself.

Ok so now that you have some idea with what millions of people are dealing with let me explain what OCD is.
 OCD is categorized within the mental health group as an anxiety disorder. People with OCD express and have compulsive thoughts, worries, or fears that result in exhaustive rituals that help keep these thoughts under control. The video below tells us exactly what OCD is.

Resources:
Dufrene, B., & Hyman, B. (2008). Coping with ocd. Oakland: New Harbinger

               Publications, Inc.

Getting Started: Why the change?

I am sure many of you are wondering why I changed my project. In the beginning of this class I went back and fourth on my project idea.  I was currently implementing the Reading Recovery Program at my school so I thought it would be easier to just do my project on that. But I also have struggled with OCD my whole life and thought I would like to do my project on this. So I was torn, do I do a project that I have almost everything complete for (Reading Recovery) or do I follow my heart and do something that is very important to me that would be a little more work on my end. Well, bottom line is although I am implementing the Reading Recovery Program, my heart is not into completing a project on that, which made it very hard to continue to do it as my project. My heart, on the other hand, is on raising awareness on childhood OCD, so I switched it. I am very excited to begin this new project and bring you into the world of OCD. So with that said please see below for my reason for action, my action question, my project method, and data collection method.

Reason for my action Research project: I have chose to do this project to raise awareness about childhood OCD and show the public what childhood OCD looks like. While unmasking this disease I would like to share my personal story about OCD and show you how I dealt with this disease as a young child. Lastly, I would like to survey teachers to see if 1) they know what OCD looks likes in children 2) if they know the symptoms and signs of OCD 3) provide them with some information and tips about recognizing OCD in children and dealing with it in their classrooms.

This project is  very important issue to me because I think my childhood education could have been a lot better if my teachers where able to notice and recognize my disease and help me through it oppose to just labeling me as special ed and sending me on my way.

Action Question: what is childhood OCD and how can we as educators recognize children struggling with OCD in our classrooms?

Project method/data collection: The main goal of this project is to raise awareness in the classroom of childhood OCD. First I would like to send out a pre-survey with brief questions about their (the teachers at my school) knowledge of childhood OCD, whether they can tell the difference between a child with OCD and ADD, and whether or not they have had any first hand experience with OCD. Once I receive all the surveys back I will collect all the data and put it into a graph to show the results. Based on the results of the survey I will put together a packet or hold a Professional Development training on Childhood OCD to teach teachers what childhood OCD is, what it looks like, and how to deal with it in your classroom. Once the packet goes out or I hold the PD I will then send out a post survey with brief questions to see if I raised any type of awareness about OCD.