During the month of April I am participating with nearly 2000 other bloggers in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. You can find out more about the challenge here:

Today’s letter is the letter O

Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder [OCD]

OCD is a series of irrational thoughts or fears that cause you to repeat behaviors that you believe will cause the irrational thoughts and fears to stop.

This or one of the many other mental health conditions can make it very difficult to move forward without support from friends and family and/or treatment. With support and treatment though, moving forward is possible!

Examples of some Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive-Behavior:

• Intense anxiety and fear will occur with these symptoms.
• The irrational fear of dirt and/or germs that cause you to constantly wash your hands and or clean your house.
• Putting everything in symmetrical order.
• Constant thoughts of horrific things happening to self or family and taking extreme measures to ensure that you and your family are safe.
• Overly fearful of embarrassment causing you to avoid social situations.
• Preoccupation with counting or numbers.
• Checking and rechecking to insure the lights are out, the doors are locked, the oven is off etc…

A person with OCD may or may not realize they have the disorder. If they realize they have it they may try to stop the thoughts and behaviors with little success.

Diagnosis:

A doctor will first do an exam to rule out any physical cause for your symptoms. Lab tests will check blood count, screening for drugs and alcohol and thyroid function. Once medical and physical causes have been ruled out a mental health professional will talk to you, your family and friends about your thoughts and behaviors and make a determination.

It can be difficult to diagnose OCD because symptoms can be similar to those of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. Someone with true obsessions and compulsions has OCD, although it’s possible to have both OCD and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Causes:

The exact cause of OCD remains unknown. It may be genetic. Researchers are working to identify genes that may be involved. There is research that points to environmental causes such as infections that trigger symptoms.

Treatment:

Treatment for OCD most likely will not result in a cure but symptoms can be controlled so that they do not interfere with a normal life and healthy relationships. Treatment involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy.

Keep Moving Forward!

I am thrilled to be part of AJ’s A-Z team!