What psychiatric disorder is OCD the abbreviation for?

Answer 1

You already had good and detailed answers in here.
Anyway as everyone had mentioned OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

It is a type of anxiety that happens when there is a problem with the way the brain deals with normal worrying and doubts. Anyone with OCD worry a lot and feel afraid about bad things that could possibly happen.

It is very normal for anyone to worry every now and then but this normal worries usually go without causing any problem. When such worries become really intense and happening over and over again, it turns as OCD where the brain replays the worry thoughts and if nothing is done, the worry feeling can get worse and worse. These frequent worry thoughts are called obsessions, and the behaviors people do to try to make the worry thoughts go away are called compulsions, thus making it obsessive-compulsive disorder. The thoughts and behaviors a person with OCD has are senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes harmful, but they are also difficult to overcome.

Someone may have obsession on anything. The obsessive worries just don't quit. The brain keeps repeating them instead of moving on to something else. No matter how much you don't want to hear it, your brain just keeps playing it back. Yelling the word "Stop!" loudly to a person with an obsessive thought is an incompatible response. Someone may have obsessions about:
>>germs or dirt
>>illness or injury (involving the person or someone else)
>>coming across unlucky numbers or words
>>things being even or straight
>>things being perfect or just right in a certain way
>>making mistakes or not being sure
>>doing or thinking something bad

Compulsions are ritualitic behaviors, or actions believed to let the bad feelings go away (and for a while, it often does), with fear that not doing the ritual will make something bad to happen. The more the rituals are done, the more the feelings of doing them.OCD afflicted persons know the repetition is unnecessary, but are unable to stop themselves.Afflicted individuals usually experience severe anxiety if unable to complete their rituals, though many therapies work by helping the individual learn that no catastrophe occurs when the behaviors do cease.

Research has shown that one of the most difficult problems in OCD is in getting family members to understand that the patient is unable to simply stop the behavior. Many times relatives become angry and upset when they are forced to deal with the time-consuming and unrealistic repetitive behaviors. With this background, it is no wonder that many patients do not volunteer their symptoms, and instead complain only of anxiety or depression.

Some OCD compulsions:
>>checking things over and over (such as doors, locks, or stoves and lights)
>>recurrent intrusive thoughts of hurting oneself or one's children.
>>lots of hand washing or showering (doing this way more than usual or having a hard time stopping)
>>counting (like having to count 25 white cars before going into school)
>>touching (like touching every single fence post between home and the bus stop)
>>doing things a certain number of times (like having to try on five dresses before leaving your room)
>>arranging things in a very particular or neat way
>>asking the same question over and over
>>tying and retying shoes over and over until they feel just right.

OCD is a long term illness and a very disruptive illness which definite cause is still under research. Research and treatment trials suggest that abnormalities in serotonin (5-HT) transmission in the central nervous system are central to this disorder. Tke known causes which take their roles are genetics, some infectious diseases, stress, and defective interpersonal relationship. OCD should be differentiated from those being a perfectionist and being overly conscientious.

Its treatment includes anti-depressant medications, counseling and behavior therapy, education and family interventions, and neurosurgical treatment in refractory cases.

Behavior therapy involves:
** Systematic desensitization where the OCD afflicted is helped to find a coping relaxation skills/technique which works best for them such as imagery, breathing skills, and muscle relaxation. Once achieved, they are gradually exposed to ever-increasing anxiety-provoking stimuli.
**Flooding allows the patient to face the most anxiety-provoking situation, while using the relaxation skills learned. ( not recommended except in rare uses)
**Saturation where the client is directed to do nothing but think of one obsessional thought which they have complained about. After a period of time of concentration on this one thought (e.g., 10-15 minutes at a time) over a number of days (3-5 days), the obsession can lose some of its strength.
**Thought-stopping where the individual learns how to halt obsessive thoughts through proper identification of the obsessional thoughts, and then averting it by doing an opposite, incompatible response (would be more effective in public).

Imaging studies have demonstrated that both medications and behavior therapy alter brain metabolism in the direction of normalcy. This then is one of the few areas in all of mental health where clear proof exists for the efficacy of multiple types of treatment. With medications, generally the dose used to treat depression is not enough to control OCD symptoms. Patients often will take 2-4 times the usual amount. Behavioral therapy with medications seems to offer the best long term improvement. Virtually no treatment is curative for OCD. Most treatment can be expected to reduce symptoms by 50-80% or more, however. The illness is cyclic, and worsens when the individual is under stress.☺

Answer 2

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Answer 3

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Answer 4

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Answer 5

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Answer 6

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder, first and foremost. It is not a thought disorder. Although the thoughts associated with OCD are bizarre, they are not at all the focal point of the therapeutic objective. The essential features of OCD are recurrent obsessions (thoughts) that create an awareness of alarm or threat. (e.g., "I might get AIDS from the germs on that door knob;" "Since I had the thought of killing my baby, I might be capable of doing it;" "If I don't pick up that Band-Aid someone else might get sick from it, and I would hold myself culpable;" etc.). Persons typically engage in some avoidance or escape response in reaction to the obsessive threat (I typically refer to the obsessive threat as a "spike."). Obsessions take the form of either a perceived threat of physical harm to oneself or others or, in some cases, more of a metaphysical or spiritual threat to oneself, others, or perhaps a deity.

People with OCD may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals. They may be obsessed with germs or dirt, and wash their hands over and over. They may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly.

How to Get Help for Anxiety Disorders
If you think you have an anxiety disorder, the first person you should see is your family doctor. A physician can determine whether the symptoms that alarm you are due to an anxiety disorder, another medical condition, or both.

If an anxiety disorder is diagnosed, the next step is usually seeing a mental health professional. The practitioners who are most helpful with anxiety disorders are those who have training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or behavioral therapy, and who are open to using medication if it is needed.

You should feel comfortable talking with the mental health professional you choose. If you do not, you should seek help elsewhere. Once you find a mental health professional with whom you are comfortable, the two of you should work as a team and make a plan to treat your anxiety disorder together.

Remember that once you start on medication, it is important not to stop taking it abruptly. Certain drugs must be tapered off under the supervision of a doctor or bad reactions can occur. Make sure you talk to the doctor who prescribed your medication before you stop taking it. If you are having trouble with side effects, it's possible that they can be eliminated by adjusting how much medication you take and when you take it.

Answer 7

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw169097

Answer 8

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.

Answer 9

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Answer 10

My husband has it. This is how it works.Honey, the cans in the cabinet are not straight (this is a ritualistic act to control anxiety and the environment, He turns the door nob after locking it many times (compulsive act). Compulsive ideas precedes the act. He often will go back in the house to check that all the ash trays are empty. He is a germaphobe. He washes his hands frequently.He has unwanted thoughts or urges he is unable to stop (he can't tell me one yet). I know it is to hurt me and compulsive refers to the repetitive act (washing hands) that relieves the anxiety associated with the thought. He is fastidious, a bit formal, inhibited, overly conscientious. He controls anxiety so it doesn't get into the panic state.