Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Why would a person cleanse their hands with scolding hot water, and the rough side of a sponge until their hands become, raw, crack, and bleed in order to feel clean? This same person may check to make sure the kitchen knives are locked away 50 times a day to insure their child is not stabbed with one. This situation is very common in people who have severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that triggers people to have unwanted fixations and to repeat certain activities again and again. Everyone has habits or certain ways of doing something with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder these habits severely interrupt the way they live their lives (Familydoctor.org Editorial Staff). About one in 40 people suffer from some form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ABRAMOWITZ). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder often occurs with significant stress or trauma. Many people suffer for years because they are not correctly diagnosed. While there are shows exposing the how sever Obsessive Compulsive Disorder truly can be, most cases are moderate. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be caused by several different factors. Some experts say that people who suffer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have irregular brain chemistry that comprises the way serotonin works. “Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps the nerve cells communicate” (NAMI). However this is not the case in everyone who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ABRAMOWITZ). Scientists have also observed that patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have a faster metabolism in the basal ganglia and the frontal lobes of the brain (NAMI). This in part explains why those who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have repetitive thoughts and thin... ... middle of paper ... ...stery of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Works Cited Abramowitz, Ph.D., Jon. "OCD 101 (Demystifying This Complex Problem) | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist. All Things OCD, 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 03 June 2011. . Familydoctor.org Editorial Staff. "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: What It Is and How to Treat It -- Familydoctor.org." Health Information for the Whole Family -- Familydoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians. Web. 03 June 2011. . "NAMI | By Illness." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness - Mental Health Support, Education and Advocacy. Nami. Web. 03 June 2011. .

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