Essay On Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an Axis I Anxiety Disorder in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The primary diagnostic criteria are the existence of obsessions or compulsions, some degree of recognition of the irrationality of the behavior, and significant interference with everyday functioning. This article provides an up-to-date summary of the state of knowledge regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The content of obsessions and compulsions vary considerably from patient to patient, sharing only the disturbing nature of the intrusions and the ritualistic efforts to neutralize the obsessions. Often, patients report more than one type of obsession and ritual, and sometimes the content of the obsession or compulsion changes (e.g., cleaning to checking). The most common compulsions are checking rituals, which are usually designed to prevent catastrophes like fire, burglary, causing someone harm, or embarrassing oneself. Also common are washing rituals, which serve to remove “contamination” or “dirt” and thereby prevent a feared disaster. Other common compulsions include repeating …show more content…
Unfortunately, the evidence fails to provide any clear indication of which co-occur most frequently. Despite its name, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is no more closely related to OCD than avoidant, dependent, histrionic, or several other personality disorders. One observation from this literature deserves comment. Antisocial personality disorder often has the smallest overlap with OCD, which may reflect the importance of beliefs about excessive responsibility in patients with OCD. Questions remain about the role of personality disorders in OCD, as some evidence suggests that PD symptoms decline with successful treatment of
The content of obsessions and compulsions vary considerably from patient to patient, sharing only the disturbing nature of the intrusions and the ritualistic efforts to neutralize the obsessions. Often, patients report more than one type of obsession and ritual, and sometimes the content of the obsession or compulsion changes (e.g., cleaning to checking). The most common compulsions are checking rituals, which are usually designed to prevent catastrophes like fire, burglary, causing someone harm, or embarrassing oneself. Also common are washing rituals, which serve to remove “contamination” or “dirt” and thereby prevent a feared disaster. Other common compulsions include repeating …show more content…
Unfortunately, the evidence fails to provide any clear indication of which co-occur most frequently. Despite its name, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is no more closely related to OCD than avoidant, dependent, histrionic, or several other personality disorders. One observation from this literature deserves comment. Antisocial personality disorder often has the smallest overlap with OCD, which may reflect the importance of beliefs about excessive responsibility in patients with OCD. Questions remain about the role of personality disorders in OCD, as some evidence suggests that PD symptoms decline with successful treatment of