Abstract This paper studies obsessivecompulsivedisorder (OCD) in children. The paper begins by discussing the lack of a precise known cause of OCD. Next the paper looks at treatment of a psychiatric condition that may be both neurobiological and psychological. The paper also examines the debilitating impact of this anxiety disorder and some solutions.
From the Paper "Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD is a complicated and still puzzling psychiatric disorder that has been called one of the most debilitating of the anxiety disorders. Recent studies suggest that approximately..."
Abstract This paper examines Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder (OCD) in adults and children. The paper begins with a discussion of the etiology and prevalence of the disease. Next the paper reviews co-morbid diseases. The paper then focuses on the symptoms and treatment of OCD, with special emphasis on the role of the nurse as therapist and educator.
Abstract This paper provides an analysis of the obsessive-compulsivedisorder and cognitive behavior displayed by the main character Melvin Udall (played by Jack Nicholson) in the movie 'As Good As It Gets.' The paper includes quotations from the movie and actual examples of the behavior displayed by Melvin that constitute OCD.
From the Paper "The character Melvin Udall (played by Jack Nicholson) in the movie As Good As It Gets displays symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and cognitive distortions. Melvin is a writer whose meticulous, routine-drenched yet quirky world suddenly turns upside down when his gay neighbor, Simon Bishop (played by Greg Kinnear), gets beaten up and has to go to the hospital, leaving his pet dog, Verdell, in Melvin's care. What further complicates Melvin's life is that the only waitress in his favorite cafe who can put up with him, Carolll Connelly (played by Helen Hunt), has to quit work to take care of her sick son."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the obsessive-compulsivedisorder. The paper also discusses the treatments that are currently available to deal with this disorder. Other questions addressed include when and how OCD was recognized as a mental disorder and how OCD affects the neurological and physical capabilities of patients who are diagnosed with the disorder. The writer points out that while OCD can interfere with normal functioning and make life extremely difficult for the patient, there is no cure for the disorder, but treatment does result in control of symptoms.
From the Paper "All people need routine, rituals and habits in order to organize their daily lives. For example, organization and arrangement of belongings and supplies is essential both at home and at work. People who have obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, are often so concerned with order and ritual that these activities require a great deal of time and become a real problem in their daily lives. Basically, obsessive-compulsive disorder is disorder that "causes a person's thoughts to repeat. These repeating thoughts, called obsessions, lead a person with OCD to perform certain tasks over and over in an effort to make the obsessions go away"."
Abstract Within the context of multi-disciplinary practice, relevant legislation and social policy, this essay outlines and evaluates two methods of intervention applicable to working with children and young people with a mental health disorder, obsessivecompulsivedisorder (OCD). The methods of intervention that are outlined and evaluated are cognitive behavioural therapy and opportunity led work. The essay also addresses the challenges inherent in practicing across different value bases and theoretical understandings of the medical and social model of mental health. Throughout the essay, an awareness of oppressive and discriminatory practice is present.
From the Paper "There are two theoretical perspectives to take into consideration when working with people with mental health issues; the medical model and the social model. The medical model has a broad application however it does originally sit in the field of medicine. The medical model follows a general series of events; diagnosis stage, prescriptive stage and curative stage. The diagnostic stage is when the individual goes to see the professional, be it a doctor or a psychologist. The prescriptive stage is when the individual describes what is wrong with them or explains what is happening to them. The curative stage is the resolution stage where the professional attempts to find a solution to the problem. The medical model does not take into consideration any external forces such as family or social networks when dealing with the individual whereas the social model is based on these external influences on the individual. The medical model is defined by a set medical framework and this then defines how the individual will be viewed, this differs from social work as the interventions are always client led."
Abstract The paper offers a presentation on obsessivecompulsivedisorder with respect to theory, characteristics and treatment. The treatments discussed are both cognitive behavioral therapy and medical management therapy. In the paper, certain drugs are presented as treatment modalities. The paper also reviews Schwartz's cognitive behavioral therapy program.
From the Paper "Throughout history, mental disorders have plagued mankind without benefit of understanding or empathy. In fact the majority of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, personality disorders, manic-depressive or bipolar disorders have long been misunderstood and mistreated. As a result of the misunderstanding of the mental disease process, fear and shame were often the hallmarks of those who were afflicted. At times, those afflicted with a mental disease were tortured, burned at the stake as heretics and even placed in "cleansing vats", all in the name of purifying the mind. Today, however, through a more compassionate and scientific understanding, mental disorders have become a recognizable disease characterized by a disruption of the body's psycho-neurobiological process (Docherty, et al, 2003)."
This paper discusses Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder (OCD), a brain-based psychological disorder characterized by uncontrollable obsessions to perform repeatedly behavioral rituals.
Abstract This paper discusses that ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder (OCD) must be distinguished from ObsessiveCompulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), which is a completely different psychiatric disorder. Despite some similarity between the irrational themes underlying each disorder, OCPD patients do not typically perform compulsive rituals; rather, they tend to become preoccupied with perfectionism or with ordered regularity or rules. The author points out that Behavioral Modification Therapy is unsuccessful by itself, but it is often combined with Cognitive Therapy, in which the therapist discusses the irrationality of the specific fears underlying the patient's fears and compulsions. The paper states that the first goal of pharmacological treatment of OCD is to maintain a sufficient level of serotonin in the brain to eliminate OCD symptoms.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Symptoms
Treatment
Prognosis
From the Paper "The first line of medications used in conjunction with treatment of OCD is anti-anxiety medications or mild sedatives to counteract the increased anxiety that is often brought on by behavioral and cognitive psychotherapeutic approaches. If the patient is unresponsive (or not satisfactorily responsive) to a combination of behavioral and cognitive therapy, the next approach is usually the prescription of a Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor. Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors are classified either as Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SRI) or Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). As their names imply, both SRI's and SSRI's block the reuptake (or absorption) of the neurotransmitter seratonin to address seratonin insufficiency in the brains of patients exhibiting OCD symptoms. SSRI's are usually employed first because they affect only seratonin; whereas, SRI's also impinge upon other neurotransmitters that are unrelated to OCD symptoms. Consequently, SRI's are more likely to result in coincidental unwanted side effects, such as weight gain, tiredness, dizziness, as well as blood pressure changes and even cardiac irregularities."
Tags: cognitive, modification, drugs, seratonin, control
A critique of the film "What About Bob?" by Frank Oz and book
"ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder: The Latest Assessment and Treatment Strategies" by Gail Steketee.
Abstract This paper presents a critique of a film, What About Bob", and a book, "ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder: The latest Assessmentand Treatment Strategies, which are both about obsessivecompulsivedisorder. The paper explains that the author learned from the film that the sociopathic, interpersonal behaviors, which the character of Bob in the film exhibits, are some of the symptoms of obsessivecompulsivedisorders (OCD). The paper then relates that a major area of contention in the book is the use of medications to help resolve the common symptoms of OCD. The author stresses that Steketee provides a great deal of insight about behavioral therapy, which provides far more solutions to OCD than the medicinal and surgical treatments often found in other studies done for patient treatment.
From the Paper "Some of the others question about Steketee's reliance on behavioral therapy for treatment is the Appendix where she describes many of the findings of clinical studies that provide information about behavioral therapy. Certainly, the success rates of behavioral therapy need to be addressed far more often than the heavily sponsored pharmaceutical studies being done due to their massive financial resources. Steketee provides the foundation for behavioral studies that give her the premise of providing more behavioral solutions for patients that are suffering from this disorder."
Abstract This paper looks at obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD), a psychological disorder that causes the same stressful or alarming and worrisome thoughts to occur over and over, obsessively, in the mind of the person with the disorder.
Outline
What is ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder?
What is OCD Like?
How does One Get OCD?
How is OCD Diagnosed?
How is OCD Treated?
From the Paper "Children tend to show specific patterns. They may avoid sharp things out of a concern regarding injuring self or others. OCD often makes a child appear to dawdle when the child is actually repeatedly checking or counting something. They may appear to daydream when they?re actually stuck in an obsessive thought. If they have hand-washing rituals, they may spend extended amounts of time in the bathroom. Repeated checking and insistence on a stylized perception of perfection can cause late schoolwork. There may be signs of many erasures on papers. It may be hard to spot these things, because people with OCD often work hard to hide their traits so no one will try to make them give them up (Gale Ency., 2001)."
Abstract This paper discusses abnormal psychology and personality disorders in general and obsessive-compulsivedisorder in particular, with a full case study of a woman diagnosed with this complaint. It details all the related symptoms and their manifestation concluding with suitable available treatments.
Outline:
Introduction
Case Study Particulars
The Prevalence and Characteristics of Anxiety Disorders ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder The Physiological basis of anxiety disorders Diagnostic Alternatives
Treatment Strategies
Conclusion
From the Paper "According to Martin Kantor, abnormal psychology concerns "the study of mental disorders and maladaptive behavior, including neuroses and psychoses, and of normal phenomena that are not completely understood, such as dreams and altered states of consciousness" (1992). As a branch of the study of abnormal psychology, a personality disorder "is a non-psychotic mental illness characterized by enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about oneself and the environment in ways that are maladaptive, being those that go against normal adaptive processes" (McNeil, 1970). Thus, an individual affected with a personality disorder often utilizes inflexible behavior patterns in order to fulfill his/her own personal needs and attain self-satisfaction, often at the expense of others and society. These traits mainly result in severe functional impairment and/or subjective distress, usually imagined or brought on by a particular illness.
"Having a personality disorder means that the affected individual is not the kind of person who can adapt smoothly to the normal routines of everyday life. Instead, the person expects the world and those in his orbit to change rather than being able to adjust to the requirements of different situations and relationships. In essence, the affected person behaves in a rigid and inflexible way that perpetuates vicious cycles and fulfills his/her worst prophecies".
Abstract This paper deals with the nursing aspects of working in an outpatient capacity with young patients suffering from various levels of Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder. It analyzes the literature on OCD treatment from a number of perspectives and from the relatively benign, such as fear of flying, to life-threatening, such as anorexia.
Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Sertraline, and Their Combination for Children and Adolescents With Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder A Narrative Approach to Body Dysmorphic Disorder Self-Injurious Behavior: A Bi-Modal Treatment Approach to Working with Adolescent Females
Measurement of Nonclinical Personality Characteristics of Women with Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa
Conclusion
From the Paper "SSRI's have helped to transform OCD treatment for many with mild- to moderate OCD syndromes. This metastudy looked at the literature which pertains to pediatric and adolescent sufferers of OCD, which is a helpful expansion from earlier clinical work done on SSRI's with adults. The meta-study looked exclusively at well-conducted clinical trials, which were randomized, double-blinded, limited to patients 19 or under, and had a placebo or other sort of control. The study does not indicate whether all patients were analyzed on a prospective rather than a retrospective basis, which would be an additional claim of objectivity.
In all, the meta-study included 12 studies with 1,044 participants, an average of 87 patients per study. Given that four SSRI's were evaluated, it is difficult to draw statistically-significant conclusions from these studies--many were simply underpowered, with some n's as low as 21, 7 and 11. This meta-study calculated a "fail-safe N," a number below which negative data would disprove the conclusions; this author would argue that the total number of participants was too close to the fail-safe N to be able to draw statistically valid conclusions."
This paper discusses the anxiety disorder called obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD), which was once considered a rare disorder but now is among the most common psychiatric diagnoses.
Abstract This paper explains that the DSM-IV-TR lists criteria for the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD) as: (1) Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images, which are intrusive, inappropriate and cause anxiety during the disturbance, (2) these cannot be excessive worries about real-life problems, (3) the person attempts to ignore, suppress or neutralize them with another thought or action and (4) the person recognizes that these obsessive thoughts, impulses or images are a product of his or her own mind. The author points out that the most common life event, which can lead to OCD, is a strict home environment while growing up. The paper examines the psychoanalytical and behavioral theories of causation of OCD, which relate directly to the selected treatment; however, the behaviorist's systematic-desensitization process is the most successful with a rate of 80% if maintained over several years.
From the Paper "The course of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is generally chronic, meaning life-long. However, the intensity of the symptoms fluctuates throughout life and occasionally has been reported to remit spontaneously. The most common event that leads to OCD becoming chronic, happens when the patient suppresses rituals because of the unusual symptoms. They usually become withdrawn and introverted as to hide their symptoms from others. This leads to depression which then leads to them getting treatment for that depression, which then in turn leads the psychologist to discover the more serious underlying cause of OCD. By the time the OCD is discovered it's usually too late and the OCD is already set in stone and becomes life-long."
Abstract This paper is a detailed, up-to-date description of obsessive-compulsivedisorder. The paper examines the signs, symptoms and possible underlying causes of the disorder. It illustrates theories of etiology and explanation of the disorder, and its pharmacological and psychological treatment is discussed. The writer claims that more research is required for successful treatment of the disorder.
From the Paper "Of all mental disorders, with the possible exception of depression, anxiety disorders are the most common and most intricate to diagnose, as clinicians must constantly differentiate between patients experiencing acute, normal anxiety and patients disabled by a pathological condition. The key factor differentiating between normal anxiety and pathology is subjective in nature - "appropriateness". Persons experiencing the death of a loved one, divorce, sickness, or other catastrophic life events benefit by their appropriate physiological and psychological reactions. As the duration and intensity of the anxiety state increases in response to more commonplace and innocuous stimuli the patient's anxiety progressively becomes pathological. Eventually the anxiety state becomes pervasive enough to interfere with every day functioning and overall quality of life and induces the patient to seek treatment. This anxiety may take many forms from vague and generalized, unspecified, or directly related to a specific traumatic event. One such form of anxiety is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and after phobias, it is the most prevalent form of pathological anxiety."
Abstract OCD is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts and/or repetitive behavior. This paper explains that no definitive cause for this condition exists, although serotonin brain uptake is thought to play a significant role. It shows that specific criteria exist for diagnosis of OCD. It discusses that effective treatments for obsessive-compulsivedisorder are available and that research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with OCD and other anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives.
From the Paper "Treatment of OCD in adults has demonstrated that medications are effective, and the existing studies of children with OCD using medications also tend to suggest some benefit (Angst et al., 2005). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are preferred over the other classes of antidepressants because the adverse effect profile is less prominent (Mataix-Cols et al., 2005). These SSRIs are considered to be the first-line medications for treatment of OCD. Fluoxetine and paroxetine have been demonstrated to be effective in controlled studies (Kaplan & Hollander, 2003). Most experts recommends trials with two or three of the SSRI medicines before switching to a different class of medication (Kaplan & Hollander, 2003). With all of these medicines, a large number of persons with OCD do not respond until 8-12 weeks of treatment. Approximately one third of patients do not respond to a particular SSRI, and the likelihood of responding drops significantly after 3 SSRI trials (Kaplan & Hollander, 2003)."
Abstract The paper explains that obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD) is an anxiety driven mental illness that results in life altering behaviors and relates that it is the fourth most common psychiatric handicap or disability in the United States today. The paper discusses the symptoms, the available treatments and how one can live with the stigmas involved. The paper concludes that diagnosing and treating patients with OCD is vital to their health and well-being. New research continues to offer promising new revelations regarding OCD and other anxiety driven psychological disorders.
Outline:
Overview OCD/Diagnosis
Symptoms OCD
Treatment OCD
Living With The Stigma of OCD
Conclusions
From the Paper "Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is one of many treatable anxiety disorders that pose "significant mental health problems" and "impair social functioning and quality of life" for patients diagnosed with the disease (Valente, 2002: 125). Anxiety disorders like OCD are among the more common forms of psychiatric disorders, yet they often receive relatively little attention with regard to research and medical history (Valente, 2002). Rasmussen & Eisen (1992) define OCD as the "fourth most common" psychiatric handicap or disability in the United States today."
