Constraints, Compulsory washing, Mandatory cleaning, Control, Compulsory counting, force
English: obsessive-compulsive disorder
Compulsions can be reflected in the form of thoughts, impulses, or behaviors. In most cases, the persons concerned know very well that their behavior or their thoughts are clearly exaggerated and inappropriate.
However, you are unable to do anything about it on your own. The affected people usually feel so stressed by the manifestations of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that it would be much more uncomfortable for them not to give in to the compulsion and to ignore the thoughts or impulses to act. When these thoughts or actions are not carried out, most people experience severe anxiety. the result is often severe physical symptoms.
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Read also on this topic psychosis
The obsessive-compulsive thoughts can show up in behavior (or impulses to act), or in the thoughts or ideas of the person concerned. The regular occurrence of these obsessive thoughts or actions in everyday life is characteristic. Often the obsessive-compulsive thoughts remain in the person's consciousness for a longer period of time and do not go away immediately after they occur.
The affected people try to largely ignore these obsessive thoughts or actions. Often this also happens by trying to let other thoughts arise or to pursue another activity.
The obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors interfere with the normal thought process or course of action.
The people affected often come to the conclusion that their obsessive thoughts or behavior are exaggerated.
Other possible symptoms that can occur as part of obsessive-compulsive disorder:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder occurs in 95% of all cases before the age of 40. The average onset of illness is between the ages of 20 and 25.
Men get sick earlier than women, but the gender distribution among the affected people in adulthood can be regarded as balanced. Men and women get sick with similar frequency in old age.
The Obsessive-compulsive disorder is discovered far more often in children and adolescents than in adults, as older people are better at hiding their compulsions.
In order to diagnose obsessive-compulsive disorder, the obsessive-compulsive behavior must be considered in detail.
In order to diagnose obsessive-compulsive disorder, the obsessive-compulsive behavior must be considered in detail.
With the help of a special questionnaire or a clinical interview, both of which are specially tailored to obsessive-compulsive disorder, the criteria or symptoms that must be present for the diagnosis can be asked systematically. It is just as important to consider the effects of the symptoms on the person's environment. In difficult cases, obsessive-compulsive disorder also prevents the exercise of the job that may previously have had an important place in the life of the person concerned.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can also lead to other mental illnesses or occur together with other illnesses (anxiety disorders, depressive behavior).The additional presence of other diseases can also be clarified through a clinical interview or a questionnaire.
Behavioral observations carried out by a treating therapist can provide information about the type and severity of the obsessive-compulsive disorder. For this purpose, the therapist and the person concerned go into the everyday situations of the patient. The behavior of the person concerned is then discussed in a conversation.
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$config[ads_text3] not foundIn order to successfully treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, it has proven to be useful to use a combination of drug and psychological treatment. In this way, the person concerned is relieved of the pressure of suffering in a timely manner. At the same time, the quality of life of the person concerned should increase again, so that life in society becomes possible for them without any problems.
Psychological treatment
70% of those affected are successfully treated through psychological treatment. A behavioral therapeutic approach is increasingly being chosen in order to lead the affected person back to a normal, unconstrained life.
Habituation training is usually used here as a therapeutic method. The person concerned should get used to situations (in which the obsessive-compulsive disorder was previously felt) without having to pursue the obsessive-compulsive behavior or thoughts. First of all, if there are obsessions, this is "experienced" mentally.
The person concerned should put themselves in their imagination in the situations in which they would otherwise show the compulsive behavior. The obsessions are triggered repeatedly with the help of the therapist. In this situation, the person concerned should deal intensively with the thoughts and ideas that arise and discuss them with the therapist.
The aim of this approach is to remove the threat to the person from the situations so that he realizes that the situations can be lived through without compulsive behavior. Even with compulsive behavior, seeking out and discussing the situation is chosen as the best method.
As part of the behavior therapy sessions, the family of the person concerned is usually included in order to talk about the person's life and the consequences in everyday life. These meetings are often also an opportunity for relatives to receive advice on how to behave towards the person concerned. Many feel helpless and do not know what behavior would be appropriate towards the person.
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Medical therapy
The combination of drug and behavioral therapy often promises long-term success in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders. The type of medication as well as the dose and duration of use depend on the degree of the OCD.
Certain drugs that are also used for depression or anxiety disorders, such as clomipramine and fluoxetine, have proven successful.
These preparations ensure an increase in serotonin activity (messenger substances in the brain that are responsible for many behaviors) and lead to a normalization of metabolic activity. It has been shown that treating obsessive-compulsive disorder with antidepressants improved 50% of patients. The symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder do not go away completely, but they do decrease by approximately 30%.
In most cases, the affected people do not manage to do something about their obsessive-compulsive disorder soon enough. This is why obsessive-compulsive disorders are very often chronic. In the beginning, the obsessive-compulsive disorder usually only focuses on one area, for example the presence of an obsessional control. Over time, however, the disease can spread to other areas.
In this way, other compulsions can arise and the level of suffering can become greater and greater. If no treatment measures are taken advantage of, withdrawal from one's own social environment or withdrawal from professional life can occur.
Some people often think about suicide because their obsessive-compulsive disorder torments them very much. To avoid such helpless thoughts, it is important to seek help early on. The sooner the person gets treatment, the better the chances that they will get relief from their OCD.
