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OCD sufferers still have control of themselves at some level and that is why they need to be subjected to medications or therapy. How is obsessive compulsive disorder treated? There are generally two ways to do this. The first treatment is via regular medication. People with OCD are asked to take drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft for a certain period or for the rest of their lives.

Cognitive behavior therapy requires a lot of patience and endurance on the part of the patient and the people who surround him or her because it deals with the alteration of habits and the changing of mindsets. Obviously, this type of obsessive compulsive disorder treatment takes a relatively longer time to be successful.

A workmate who can't seem to tire of arranging his files several times a day; a teacher who likes to toss a coin five times first before deciding whether to give a pop quiz that day or not; a friend who counts from one to then five times before entering a room that has a white door; and other things that would merit spots on our 'that's so weird' list.

About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder We meet these people almost everyday; people who cannot seem to get enough out of doing a certain activity or habit over and over again, mostly out of the need to achieve perfection or because of a fear of something. We often laugh at people who are like this and call them OC, or obsessive compulsive.

More often than not, these compulsions are grounded on a set of personal predetermined rules, which must be followed with full accuracy and precision. A person who has OCD is very keen with detail, especially during an 'attack'. What Are The Signs That Someone Has OCD? The most popular obsessions include an unreasonable concern with symmetry and order, incessant worry about how a particular activity or job is carried out, the need for reassurance at all times, and the thinking of certain numbers or words all the time, among others.

Called cognitive behavior therapy, those who undergo this method find themselves better cured because not only do are they able to get rid of certain OCD habits, they are also able to detect some at the onset. Behavior therapy deals with how people respond to certain stimuli. Thus, its effect is deeper and more long term.

If you haven't experienced the feeling of a person who is consumed by OCD, then you really don't have the right to say that it's easy to overcome it. OCD is a serious condition that requires medical or behavioral intervention. While the thought of simply stopping the rituals or compulsions that cause bother seems very easy, for the person who has OCD, this is far from real.

Or, we may already know that our friend has OCD but don't really think much of it because, again, it's silly. If you share this view, then you are very wrong. Obsessive compulsive disorder may seem like a minor problem, but it is actually very serious. Sure, it does not kill people, not deliberately, at least, but its effects can be so grand that people who have it might eventually turn insane, or worse, be compelled to do heinous activities (we never know).

Compulsions are the means to assuage a particular obsession. However, their effect is only temporary, so the person finds himself or herself doing the same ritual over and over again, often to a destructive extent. It is not easy to deal with a person who has OCD. This is why treatment is available. OCD sufferers can choose to either take medications, like Prozac or Zoloft, or undergo cognitive behavior therapy, which has a larger success rate but is very tedious and requires more effort to complete.

Some of us who have obsessive compulsive disorder do not seek treatment because, well, it seems really minor and some people don't think much of it. Another thing, OCD sufferers often refuse to get help because they are ashamed to admit that they have it. In the field of psychology, OCD is an affliction, and many people don't want to admit that a seemingly small problem as repeatedly arranging a particular thing over and over is a mental ailment.

A workmate who can't seem to tire of arranging his files several times a day; a teacher who likes to toss a coin five times first before deciding whether to give a pop quiz that day or not; a friend who counts from one to then five times before entering a room that has a white door; and other things that would merit spots on our 'that's so weird' list.

The compulsions, also the called the rituals, that characterize obsessive compulsive disorder are done in an attempt to assuage the anxiety and fear felt over a certain obsession. This is why some people like to count from one to ten three times out loud before doing a particular task, or why some feel that tossing a nickel three times before entering a building will bring safety and luck.

People who have been diagnosed with it have found themselves unable to take control of their own lives, to the point that relationships are destroyed and jobs are terminated. In certain cases, those with OCD are laughed at and ridiculed because their compulsions cause people to think that they are very foolish and weak.

Some contend that a certain brain chemical called serotonin, is the one that enables us to control our behaviors and that people with OCD are the ones who lack it. There are many theories and schools of thought as to where OCD originates, all of which contribute to our better and still developing understanding of the illness.

Majority of the sufferers do not really want to do what they are doing but have no choice but to continue because not doing so will only cause greater anxiety. Compulsions are the means to assuage a particular obsession. However, their effect is only temporary, so the person finds himself or herself doing the same ritual over and over again, often to a destructive extent.

The risk here, however, is that we might be forever dependent on drugs. Critics of this method say that the medications are there to give a placebo effect only. You may also try behavior modification. Called cognitive behavior therapy, those who undergo this method find themselves better cured because not only do are they able to get rid of certain OCD habits, they are also able to detect some at the onset.

First, you may opt to take the directly medical route and go for drugs that are designed to increase serotonin levels in our brains and help us fight obsessions and compulsions. The risk here, however, is that we might be forever dependent on drugs. Critics of this method say that the medications are there to give a placebo effect only.

However, with patience and determination, adults can still succeed. OCD is a misunderstood illness because those who do not know anything about it call its sufferers crazy and insane. OCD is not an indication of insanity. It is an inability to control obsessions and compulsions. All of us have these obsessions and compulsions.

These rituals do not necessarily work, but the person has this weird belief that they will and continue doing so without really knowing why it has to be that particular ritual. These rituals, however, only bring temporary relief, and so a person who has OCD finds himself or herself repeating the same thing over and over again.

For instance, if a person always fears that he might lose his father, he might do everything in his capacity to protect his father from harm, including disallowing the parent from getting out of the house (for fear that he might get nabbed or that he might get sick from outside or whatever). An extreme form of this anxiety might result in the person locking his parent inside a room to drastically reduce his 'exposure' to harm.

There is no single way to tackle obsessive compulsive disorder and each method is unique to the patient. Doctors will first have to study the patient's response capabilities to certain methods before subjecting him or her to full treatment. Having mentioned all of the above, the thesis here is OCD can be treated, which is really good news for its sufferers because they no longer have to be in the dark about the problem anymore.

Insufficient knowledge about obsessive compulsive disorder will lead the non-patient to misunderstand his or her behavior. It is easy for a person with no OCD to classify the OCD sufferer as simply insane. Without a deep understanding of the condition, the person who has OCD might just be laughed at or ridiculed when all he or she really needs is help.

Behavior therapy deals with how people respond to certain stimuli. Thus, its effect is deeper and more long term. How a person wants his OCD problem to be treated is a matter of personal choice. However, it is recommended that behavior therapy be preferred because it deals with a person's response actions as a whole.

Some studies say it could be genetic. That is, if somebody from the older generation suffered from some kind of OCD, it is likely that somebody in the succeeding generations will have something of the sort. Some say it is caused by a certain malfunction or kink in the brain, which disables people from controlling compulsions and getting ahold of obsessions.