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.
I find your new project fascinating! My best friend has had OCD and anxiety since childhood and has been struggling with it since then. I am very interested to learn more and be able to understand this disorder better!
ReplyDeleteThank you Megan, i am glad to help and i would love some feed back about your friend and her condition. Down the line i will be sending out a survey if you dont mind maybe you can fill it out based on her or even ask her to share her experience.
DeleteI am really interested in your project. My son has OCD, among other anxiety disorders. He always struggled with certain things at a young age, but it really presented itself when he was in 8th grade and going through puberty. As a parent, I often battled with the guilt of thinking that I did something wrong to cause his disorder. After doing a lot of research and talking to many different doctors, I know that isn't the case. For my son it is genetics. We also believe that the heavy doses of medication for asthma, including many rounds of steroids, starting at 6 months had an effect. Today he is 22 and doing pretty well. He still has some very bad days, but he has come a long way. I look forward to reading more about your project. Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteTricia thank you so much for sharing your story with me. My mother, as you will read in my next post also thought it was her fault, but that is not the case at all. For me it is genetics as well. I was blessed as a young child that my doctor caught it before it became a misdiagnoses and more problems came into to play. Also when I became old enough to know what I had I did a lot of research about it so I knew what to look for if it ever bared its ugly head again (which it did in my early teens).
DeleteThe support I have from my family and friends is the best and I am so happy to read that you support your son and are trying to help him deal with this horrible disease. Later on down the line I will be sending out a survey if you don’t mind answering some questions it would be greatly appreciated.