Obsessive–compulsive disorder*(OCD) is ananxiety disorder*characterized by*intrusive thoughts*that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear or worry (obsessions), repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety (compulsions), or a combination of such obsessions andcompulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning, repeated checking, extreme*hoarding, preoccupation with*sexual, violent or religious thoughts,*relationship-related obsessions, aversion to particular numbers and nervousrituals*such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. These symptoms are time-consuming, might result in*loss of relationships with others, and often cause severe emotional and financial distress. The acts of those who have OCD may appearparanoid*and potentially*psychotic. However, people with OCD generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational and may become further distressed by this realization. Despite the irrational behaviour, OCD is associated with above-average intelligence.[1]A number of psychological and biological factors may be involved in causing obsessive–compulsive disorder. Standardized rating scales such as*Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale*can be used to assess the severity of symptoms.[2]*Other disorders with similar symptoms include:*obsessive–compulsive*personality*disorder*(OCPD), anautism spectrum disorder, or disorders whereperseveration*(hyperfocus) is a feature inADHD,*PTSD, bodily disorders, or just a habit problem.[3]Treatment for OCD involves the use ofbehavioral therapy*and sometimes*selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors*(SSRIs).[4]*The type of behavior therapy used involves increasing exposure to what causes the problems while not allowing the compulsive behavior to occur.[4]*Atypical antipsychoticssuch as*quetiapine*may be useful when used in addition to an SSRI in treatment-resistant cases but are associated with an increased risk of side effects.[5]Obsessive–compulsive disorder affects children and adolescents, as well as adults. Roughly one third to one half of adults with OCD report a childhood onset of the disorder, suggesting the continuum of anxiety disorders across the lifespan.[6]*The phrase*obsessive–compulsive*has become part of the English lexicon, and is often used in an informal or caricatured manner to describe someone who is excessively meticulous,*perfectionistic, absorbed, or otherwise fixated.[7]
Some people with OCD perform compulsive rituals because they inexplicably feel they have to, others act compulsively so as to mitigate the anxiety that stems from particular obsessive thoughts. The person might feel that these actions somehow either will prevent a dreaded event from occurring, or will push the event from their thoughts. In any case, the individual's reasoning is soidiosyncratic*or distorted that it results in significant distress for the individual with OCD or for those around them. Excessive skin picking (i.e.,*dermatillomania) or hair plucking (i.e.,*trichotillomania) and nail biting (i.e.,onychophagia) are all on the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum. Individuals with OCD are aware that their thoughts and behavior are not rational,[20]*but they feel bound to comply with them to fend off feelings of panic or dread.Some common compulsions include counting specific things (such as footsteps) or in specific ways (for instance, by intervals of two), and doing other repetitive actions, often with atypical sensitivity to numbers or patterns. People might repeatedly wash their hands[21]*or clear their throats, make sure certain items are in a straight line, repeatedly check that their parked cars have been locked before leaving them, constantly organize in a certain way, turn lights on and off, keep doors closed at all times, touch objects a certain number of times before exiting a room, walk in a certain routine way like only stepping on a certain color of tile, or have a routine for using stairs, such as always finishing a flight on the same foot.The compulsions of OCD must be distinguished from*tics; movements of othermovement disorders*such as*chorea,dystonia,*myoclonus; movements exhibited instereotypic movement disorder*or some people with*autism; and the movements ofseizure*activity.[22]*There may exist a notable rate of comorbidity between OCD and tic-related disorders.[22]People rely on compulsions as an escape from their obsessive thoughts; however, they are aware that the relief is only temporary, that the intrusive thoughts will soon return. Some people use compulsions to avoid situations that may trigger their obsessions. Although some people do certain things over and over again, they do not necessarily perform these actions compulsively. For example, bedtime routines, learning a new skill, and religious practices are not compulsions. Whether or not behaviors are compulsions or mere habit depends on the context in which the behaviors are performed. For example, arranging and ordering DVDs for eight hours a day would be expected of one who works in a video store, but would seem abnormal in other situations. In other words, habits tend to bring efficiency to one's life, while compulsions tend to disrupt it.[23]In addition to the anxiety and fear that typically accompanies OCD, sufferers may spend hours performing such compulsions every day. In such situations, it can be hard for the person to fulfill their work, family, or social roles. In some cases, these behaviors can also cause adverse physical symptoms. For example, people who obsessively wash their hands with*antibacterial soap*and hot water can make their skin red and raw withdermatitis.[24]People with OCD can use rationalizations to explain their behavior; however, these rationalizations do not apply to the overall behavior but to each instance individually. For example, a person compulsively checking the front door may argue that the time taken and stress caused by one more check of the front door is much less than the time and stress associated with being robbed, and thus checking is the better option. In practice, after that check, the person is*still*not sure and deems it is*still*better to perform one more check, and this reasoning can continue as long as necessary.
Overvalued ideas
Some OCD sufferers exhibit what is known asovervalued ideas. In such cases, the person with OCD will truly be uncertain whether the fears that cause them to perform their compulsions are irrational or not. After some discussion, it is possible to convince the individual that their fears may be unfounded. It may be more difficult to do*ERP therapy*on such patients because they may be unwilling to cooperate, at least initially. There are severe cases in which the sufferer has an unshakeable belief in the context of OCD that is difficult to differentiate from*psychosis.
Psychosis*refers to an abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic*psychiatric*term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with*reality". People with psychosis are described as*psychotic.*People experiencing psychosis may exhibit some personality changes and*thought disorder. Depending on its severity, this may be accompanied by unusual or bizarre behavior, as well as difficulty with*social interaction*and impairment in carrying out daily life activities.Psychosis (as a*sign*of a psychiatric disorder) is a*diagnosis of exclusion. That is, a new-onset episode of psychosis is not considered a symptom of a psychiatric disorder until other relevant and known causes of psychosis are properly excluded.[2]*Medical and biological laboratory tests should excludecentral nervous system*diseases and injuries, diseases and injuries of other organs, psychoactive substances, toxins, and prescribed medications as causes of symptoms of psychosis before any psychiatric illness can be diagnosed.[2]*In medical training, psychosis as a sign of illness is often compared to fever since both can have multiple causes that are not readily apparent.[2]The term "psychosis" is very broad and can mean anything from relatively normal aberrant experiences through to the complex and*catatonic*expressions of*schizophreniaand*bipolar type 1 disorder.[3][4][5]*In properly diagnosed psychiatric disorders (where other causes have been*excluded*by extensive medical and biological laboratory tests), psychosis is a descriptive term for thehallucinations,*delusions, sometimes*violence, and impaired*insight*that may occur.[4][6]Psychosis is generally given to noticeable deficits in normal behavior (negative signs) and more commonly to diverse types of hallucinations or delusional*beliefs, especially as regards the relation between self and others as in*grandiosity*andpronoia/paranoia.An excess in*dopaminergic*signalling is hypothesized to be linked to the*positive symptoms*of psychosis, especially those of schizophrenia. However, this hypothesis has not been definitively supported. The dopaminergic mechanism is thought to be causal in an aberrant perception or evaluation of the salience of environmental stimuli.[7]Many*antipsychotic*drugs accordingly target the dopamine system; however, meta-analyses of placebo-controlled trials of these drugs show either no significant difference in effects between drug and*placebo, or a moderate*effect size, suggesting that the pathophysiology of psychosis is much more complex than an overactive dopamine system.[8][9]
How do you expect us to read all these block of words? Seriously, proper paragraphing is needed. If you copy-paste from other source, you need to reformat the structure for everyone's ease of reading.
