Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Of all the major health risks and concerns during this current time, I believe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is among the worst. According to www.dictionary.com, a “concern” is something that engages a person’s immediate attention, interest, or care. The numbers, compulsions, and illusive prevention make obsessive-compulsive disorder a perfect fit as a major health concern. First, it is important to mention what obsessive-compulsive disorder is: an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors that are performed to eliminate obsessions (compulsions). Dr. Tolin explains OCD best in the first episode of VH1’s The OCD Project by saying, “Your brain acts as if a mistake is being made, even when no mistake is being made. It’s a false alarm of the brain. The obsession is the thought, the image, the impulse that comes into your brain. It’s the signal. The compulsion is that thing that you do to try to make it feel better. So the first step in this is you gotta stop fixing the problem because you’re chasing something that’s not even rational.” Basically, OCD is life-controlling and can have a tremendously negative impact on a person’s daily functioning. One vital regard of OCD is the alarming statistics. An estimated 4.3 million American adults have this disorder. That is approximately one in fifty people. It has an impact on people more than any other mental or emotional-based disorder. The typical age population affected is between eighteen and fifty-four; however, OCD makes no discrimination among race, sex, or culture. The average onset stage of OCD is nineteen years old, but one may also develop it later in life. Nearly half of all sufferers find it to be rooted in their childhoods, showing signs as early

as preschool. Perhaps the most detrimental part of OCD is that most people who suffer from it also suffer from depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or other anxiety