Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder that causes people to obsess over thoughts and may result in compulsive behavior. According to The National Institute of Mental Health “OCD affects between 2 and 3 million adults in the United States (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD)”. This is the same amount of people living in the city of Houston, Texas! The International OCD Foundation estimates “There are also at least 500,000 children and teens with OCD (Who Gets OCD?)”. This is about the same number of kids that have diabetes, so why isn’t this topic talked about more? Living with OCD can be overwhelming and cause a feeling hopelessness. In many cases OCD can lead to clinical depression and even suicide. With such
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OCD can be broken down into to two categories. The First is recurring thoughts, the obsessive component in OCD. Once stuck on a certain thought it becomes extremely hard to let go of, until you find a way to make it right or fix it. Obsessive compulsive disorder is like an itch you can't scratch. These obsession can then turn into repetitive behavior, the compulsion component in OCD. Some examples of this is an obsessive fear of dirt and germ, that sometimes can lead to repetitive hand washing rituals. Or a need for order and symmetry, that causes an overwhelming need to align things just right. It may not seem like a big deal but these obsessions and compulsions can quickly become very consuming. They are almost impossible to ignore and can be the source of a lot of distress and …show more content…
A cognitive approach focuses on why you have these obsessions, looking for an alternative understanding of recurring thoughts, and a different way to respond to them. A behavioral approach emphasized the importance of really understanding anxiety and facing your fears. Together cognitive behavioral therapy is the idea that what a person feels about something is influenced by the way they think and behave, and that they can learn new methods to cope with their anxiety in certain situations. A number of clinical studies have shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with or without medication is the most helpful form of OCD
OCD can be broken down into to two categories. The First is recurring thoughts, the obsessive component in OCD. Once stuck on a certain thought it becomes extremely hard to let go of, until you find a way to make it right or fix it. Obsessive compulsive disorder is like an itch you can't scratch. These obsession can then turn into repetitive behavior, the compulsion component in OCD. Some examples of this is an obsessive fear of dirt and germ, that sometimes can lead to repetitive hand washing rituals. Or a need for order and symmetry, that causes an overwhelming need to align things just right. It may not seem like a big deal but these obsessions and compulsions can quickly become very consuming. They are almost impossible to ignore and can be the source of a lot of distress and …show more content…
A cognitive approach focuses on why you have these obsessions, looking for an alternative understanding of recurring thoughts, and a different way to respond to them. A behavioral approach emphasized the importance of really understanding anxiety and facing your fears. Together cognitive behavioral therapy is the idea that what a person feels about something is influenced by the way they think and behave, and that they can learn new methods to cope with their anxiety in certain situations. A number of clinical studies have shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with or without medication is the most helpful form of OCD