ABC Medical Center > Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD

What is Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD?

17:05 - 29 September , 2023

Disease

It is a mental illness that consists of often irrational obsessive thoughts and fears that produce compulsive behaviors, causing negative emotions that make the person suffer, affecting their life and daily activities.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions and compulsions that are difficult to control because trying to stop them causes greater anxiety, which can only be relieved momentarily by accepting those behaviors, although after a short time, these obsessions return, turning into a behavioral pattern.

This condition usually focuses on specific issues, such as fear of being unsafe, so the patient constantly monitors their surroundings and checks safety equipment to be certain that they are safe.

Although the origin of obsessive-compulsive disorder is unknown, research indicates that it could be due to:

  • Chemical alterations in the brain.
  • Genetic abnormalities.
  • Imitation and learning of behaviors.

Among the potential risks of developing this condition are:

  • Having family members who have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  • Traumatic or high-stress episodes.
  • Suffer from some other mental disorder.

Signs and symptoms Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD

Obsession:

  • Fear of illness or lack of cleanliness.
  • Fear of being unsafe.
  • Indecision and uncertainty.
  • Fixation on order and control.
  • Thoughts of aggression towards others or oneself.
  • Violent, sexual, or criminal thoughts.

Compulsion:
The main focus of these behaviors is:

  • Safety: check security cameras all the time.
  • Order: arrange clothes again and again.
  • Control: aggressiveness when people don’t do what they want or things don’t go the way they want.
  • Cleaning: wash and disinfect everything.
  • Routine: doing the same rituals and behaviors invariably.
  • Reaffirmation: constantly check that the lights are off.
  • Verification: check that the doors are closed for peace of mind.

Diagnosis and treatment Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD

The specialist will analyze your symptoms and clinical history, and then perform a physical examination and a psychological evaluation to rule out other conditions and confirm the diagnosis.

The treatment to follow will seek to control the symptoms through:

  • Medication.
  • Psychotherapy.

In certain cases, it is possible to resort to alternative therapies such as:

  • Deep brain stimulation.
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

At the Neurology Center, a select group of highly trained and certified doctors in various neurological specialties is ready to assist you with the quality and warmth that characterizes us.

Fuentes:

  • neurologia.com
  • topdoctors.es
  • neurology.org
  • middlesexhealth.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com
  • Carmenate RID. Particularidades del trastorno obsesivo compulsivo en el niño y el adolescente. Medicentro. 2020;24(1):174-184.
  • De La CruzVillalobos N. Trastorno obsesivo compulsivo. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2018;3(11):14-18.
  • Reyes-Vaca JG, Sauceda-Nava R, Escalante PFJ, et al. Evaluación de la actividad cortical cerebral, mediante resonancia magnética funcional, de pacientes con trastorno obsesivo compulsivo. Anales de Radiología México. 2015;14(4):411-419.
  • Behobi BWA, García F, Fernández-Álvarez H. Psicoterapia cognitiva individual del TOC. Salud Mental. 2013;36(4):347-354.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.