In OCD: What Can be Done–Part I, I referred to what’s OCD and some basic tips on techniques that a person can use to help manage their OCD and their obsessive thoughts. Howver, that’s part of barely scratching the surface.
You are most likely to find them counting, having become fixated on a certain number, checking and re-checking, washing or doing any act of decontamination obsessively, keep repeating a word or phrase, making sudden movements including touching an object for no apparent reason, imagining tragedies or arranging stuff in their office or home to look excessively in a ‘perfect’ order… there’s really no hard and fast rule as to what the symptoms are. Chronic uncertainty usually is a tough complication to OCD.
Neuro-surgeons and psychologists agree in their latest findings that some portion of the OCD victim’s may be ‘hard wired’ by neurons to do certain things repetitively. Which mens to say that that person does not really have a say in what they have to do or doing, even with the conscious knowledge of doing it.
Scientific research points to an abnormal function in particular sections of the brain. The brain chemical serotonin, which facilitates mood and behavior, acts as a “messenger” throughout sections of the brain itself; an imbalance of serotonin may very likely provide root cause to OCD. Alternatively, strong genetic links have been identified that would point to OCD as an inherited disorder. Environmental and childhood stresses also cannot be ruled out as contributing factors.
Treatment
The very ‘hard wired’ concept tells scientists that one cannot ‘quit’ OCD just as one would quit smoking or nail-biting. People with OCD lack the objectivity and information to deal with the multifaceted disorder. Professional help is a must to quell the disorder’s impulses, and treatment consists of medication, behavior therapy, or a combination of both.
Renowned scientist Dr Griest says, “It’s probably a relief to realize that you’re not alone. OCD is remarkably common, but hidden because sufferers are embarrassed about having thoughts they view as silly or goofy or dumb. They’re worried other people will detect their rituals.”
OCD patients don’t have to feel hopeless about their condition. “This is a ‘good’ disorder to have, among the maladies that humankind can suffer, because OCD is highly compatible with functional life. But it needs treatment,” Dr. Griest urges.
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