By: Sheli Tonkonogi
Have you ever said “you’re so OCD” to your friend who meticulously organizes everything and likes to keep everything clean? Or maybe you’ve said it about yourself. In reality though, OCD is a serious and debilitating psychiatric condition that is far more complex than simply a desire to keep things clean and organized.
OCD stands for Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder. As the name suggests, the disorder has two parts: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images or impulses. These can be centered around various topics, some of which include: cleanliness and contamination, morality, fears of harming others, sexuality and order and symmetry. The accompanying compulsions are the behaviours that sufferers engage in to relieve the anxiety that arises from the obsessive thoughts. These compulsions can take on multiple forms and can include behaviours such as: excessive double-checking of locks, appliances and switches, spending a lot of time washing or cleaning, rearranging objects, or walking in predetermined patterns. It is important to note here that often sufferers really are aware that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational. This is part of the reason why OCD is so distressing.
At this point you may be wondering: what causes OCD? Well, the simple answer is we don’t really know. However, research suggests that the brains of OCD sufferers are actually hardwired to behave in a particular fashion. Research has implicated three areas of the brain: the orbitofrontal cortex (involved in social behaviour and complex cognitive planning), the caudate nucleus ( involved in voluntary movement) and the cingulate gyrus (involved in emotional and motivational responses). Another clue as to the cause of OCD is that it is associated with low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. It communicates between brain structures and helps regulate vital processes such as sleep, appetite, body temperature, and pain. We still aren’t sure though whether this is actually the cause of the disorder or just a symptom of an unknown underlying cause.
There is some good news though, and this is that there are effective treatments for OCD. These can include medications that increase serotonin levels in the brain, behavioural therapy that gradually exposes patients to their anxieties, electroconvulsive therapy (brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia) and even surgery for severe OCD.
OCD is a very challenging disorder not only for patients, but also for the researchers trying to study it. But with knowledge comes the power to seek help and hopefully, as we move into the future, we will begin to find different ways to treat and manage this debilitating condition.
*Please note that I personally do not suffer from this disorder, so all this information was drawn from outside sources. If you suffer from OCD or know someone that does and would like to add something or know that something that I have said is false or does not reflect your experience, please feel free (if you are comfortable) to leave a comment below this article*
References
Debunking the myths of OCD - Natascha M. Santos. YouTube. (2015, May 19). Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://youtu.be/DhlRgwdDc-E
Additional material:
These videos are stories of those who have OCD:
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