OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE

DISORDER (O.C.D.)
By: Jimmy Carmody
 WHAT IS O.C.D.?
• O.C.D. is an anxiety disease that causes unwanted and uncontrollable
thoughts and or rituals.
• Some people with extreme O.C.D. suffer daily because of the obsessive
thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
 WHAT ARE OBSESSIONS AND
COMPULSIONS?

Obsessions:
• Obsessions are involuntary thoughts,
images, or impulses that occur over
and over again in your mind.
• These obsessive thoughts are often
disturbing and distracting.
Compulsions:
• Compulsions are behaviors or rituals
that you feel driven to act out
constantly.
• Usually, compulsions are performed
in an attempt to make obsessions
go away, but only restart the
uncontrollable cycle of O.C.D.
 WHAT CAUSES O.C.D.?
• Main theories include both physiological factors and environmental factors.
• O.C.D. has no main cause, but is also believed to be caused by neurological
activity that increases an obsession and or compulsion as time goes on.
• Research suggests that there may be a problem with the way one part of
the brain sends information to another part.
• Not having enough of a brain chemical called serotonin may help cause the
problem.
• Research shows that people with O.C.D. have lower serotonin than people
without O.C.D.
• O.C.D. can also be a part of a person’s genetics, but is not contagious.
 DIAGNOSIS:
• Physical exam - This may be done to help rule out other problems that could
be causing your symptoms and to check for any related complications.
• Lab tests - These may include, for example, a complete blood count (CBC),
a check of your thyroid function, and screening for alcohol and drugs.
• Psychological evaluation - This includes discussing your thoughts, feelings,
symptoms and behavior patterns. With your permission, this may include
talking to your family or friends.
 TREATMENTS:
• There is no cure for O.C.D.
• It is not fatal and can be reduced if received help.
• Help from family, friends, and therapists can play a major role in treating
O.C.D.
• Different medications can help reduce the obsessions and compulsions a
person experiences.
• An example of a popular medication is Sertraline a.k.a. Zoloft
SERTRALINE(ZOLOFT)
SERTRALINE is used to
treat depression. It may
also be used to treat
obsessive compulsive
disorder, panic disorder,
post-trauma stress,
premenstrual dysphoric
disorder or social anxiety.
This medication can
reduce the effects of the
disorder.
 HOW DOES O.C.D. AFFECT THE
BODY/MIND?
• O.C.D. can quickly become all-consuming, and even physically disabling.
• A person may be able to do little else but spend time on the obsessions and
compulsions.
• O.C.D. controls daily life for most patients and only complicates simple tasks.
 5 INTERESTING FACTS:
• O.C.D. can cause high anxiety.
• O.C.D. affects about 2.5% of people over their lifetime.
• Symptoms of O.C.D. usually start in adolescence and early adulthood.
• Stress can bring about or make O.C.D. symptoms worse.
• O.C.D. is known as a chronic mental illness.
 WORK CITED:
• Stull, Mac. “How Does OCD and Anxiety Affect the Body and Brain?”
Prezi.com, 13 Jan. 2015, prezi.com/tjj_ox6ekl88/how-does-ocd-and-
anxiety-affect-the-body-and-brain/.
• “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-
disorder.
• “Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD.” Home > OCD Research Clinic | Psychiatry
| Yale School of Medicine, ocd.yale.edu/.