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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is one of the anxiety disorders. It is a strong disabling condition that can persists throughout a person's life. People who suffer from this mental illness have continuing upsetting thoughts and use rituals to control the anxiety of these thoughts. In most cases, the rituals end up controlling them so the individual becomes trapped in a pattern of repetitive thoughts and behaviors that are senseless. The patient finds the rituals addictive and distressing and therefore it is hard to quit. OCD can vary from mild to severe. If the case is severe and it is left untreated, it can destroy a person's capacity to function at work, school and even at home.
For many years, mental health professionals thought of OCD as a rare disease because only a small minority of their patients had the conditions, but it was not true. This disorder was and still is often unrecognized because many of those afflicted with OCD try to keep their repetitive thoughts and behaviors secret, therefore most of them fail to seek treatment. This led to the underestimation of the number of people with the illness. However, a survey conducted in the early 1980s by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provided new knowledge of OCD. The NIMH survey showed that OCD affects more than 2 percent of the population, meaning that OCD is more common than severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or panic disorder. OCD appear in people of all ethnic groups and affects males and females are equally.
Although most OCD symptoms begin during the teenage years or early adulthood, recent research shows that some children develop the illness at earlier ages, some even before entering school. Studies indicate that at least one-third of cases of OCD in adults began in childhood. Suffering from OCD during early stages of a child's development can cause severe problems for the child. It is important that the child...