Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an abnormal problem that people suffer from around the world. OCD often goes untreated because many people do not understand that the distressing loss of control they experience can be treated. OCD can be incapacitating to some people, however, it could help others achieve goals. People with OCD, such as Bess in the story below, can overcome OCD with treatment.

The long term treatment of OCD should enable the patient to be productive in personal and work life. A balance of control needs to be found to protect the patient against from allowing OCD taking to take control over of their daily lives. "Six neurotic diagnostic categories were obtained: OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, depressive episode, phobias, panic disorder and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder" (Torres, 2006, p. 3) "OCD is an anxiety disorder that can be life-long. A person with OCD could also recover and then get the illness again, or relapse. This illness affects women and men in equal numbers." (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, p. 1)

Case Study Summary and Related Disorder:

This case study focuses on Bess who suffered from OCD. Bess’s OCD behavior can partly be traced back to the childhood environment she was raised in. Bess’s mother suffered some of the same OCD behaviors she suffers from. “Obsessive-compulsives usually model much of their behavior from parents” (Hansell & Damour, 2005, p. 44). Bess’s was able to control her OCD problems to a certain point. Bess did not reach out for help until her OCD behavior started to interfere with work.

Biological Factors in Relation to the Case Study:

Bess’s OCD problems are related to biological factors in her brain. “typically PET scans, find that four brain structures “lock together” in OCDs; that is, they become overactive in unison” (Hansell & Damour, 2005, p. 44). In the brain the frontal cortex is hyperactive. This causes a person to keep correcting what they think is not right. This...