Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder and affects roughly 2.2 million American adults. (Obesessive-compulsive Disorder, 2009) OCD is a mental disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts that result in anxiety. In an attempt to rid themselves of the anxious feeling (obsessions), the individuals engages in the repetition of behaviors (compulsions) or rituals to fulfill the obsession. This disorder several treatment options that have proven to be very effective. Obviously with any debilitating disorder or illness, the effectiveness of treatment is dependent upon what stage the condition has progressed to. With OCD being the fourth most common mental disorder diagnosed (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, 2010), treatment and awareness has evolved rapidly. This evolution has made it possible for millions of individuals burdened with this disorder, to live normal lives.
OCD takes on many different forms and more importantly behaviors. Typically, an individual experiencing OCD carries out tasks or rituals seeking reprieve from on obsessive driven anxiety. These obsessions can be very grandiose in scale or can be as simple as a feeling of discomfort or imbalance. Common symptoms of OCD involving obsessions include; fear of being infected by touching things others have touched; distress when objects are out of place or facing the wrong way; avoiding situations that will instigate on obsession like shaking hands for example; skin abrasions because of compulsive picking; baldness because of hair pulling. (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD), 2009) Symptoms involving compulsions include; washing skin until it becomes raw; repeatedly checking doors to ensure they are locked; counting in certain patterns; making sure all items on a shelf have labels facing the same direction. (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD), 2009) Is a preoccupation with cleanliness considered obsessive-compulsive behavior? There is a big difference between...