Obsessive Compulsive DisorderPeople with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have to deal with both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions can be persistent, unwanted thoughts or impulses such as ideas, that people are unable to control. Those persistent obsessive thoughts can be very intrusive in your life and cause intense anxiety or distress. Obsessions are more then worries about problems in life and people are unable to ignore or suppress them. Feelings of anxiety that go with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder caused by obsessive thoughts, can be relieved by rituals or repetitive behavior called compulsions. People feel driven to perform these repetitive behaviors or rituals such as checking if the doors are locked or counting in patterns all the time. The urge to do so can be overwhelming. Compulsions seen in OCD are: excessive hand washing, cleaning, counting, checking, touching, arranging, hoarding, measuring, excessive neatness, and repeating tasks or actions. Carrying out these rituals can make them feel a little better but that feeling won’t last long because the obsessive though or image will return and the ritual will start over. Its unthinkable to not compete the rituals because it is thought something bad will happen. To be diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, one must have either obsessions or compulsions alone, or obsessions and compulsions together.
OCD and Asperger SyndromeThe symptoms of OCD are known to start during the teenage years or adolescence . However, some children develop the condition earlier in their life. Some of those children may also be diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the same time.Symptoms of Asperger Syndrome can be repetitive behavior and people will feel the need to organise their stuff around them. The classic example of this is the little boy with Asperger who won’t play with his cars but lines them up in perfect order.Some children relief their feelings of anxiety through those rituals or try to structure their life this way. Just like people with OCD they can become upset or even panic when their rituals are disturbed. However, according to McDougle (1998) people with Asperger never have obsessions only. These will always be accompanied by the rituals because the rituals are more essential for those with Asperger. They tend to be more focussed on organizing and wanting symmetry in their lives instead of the excessive washing and cleaning compulsions you see in OCD.
Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive DisorderPeople with OCD can benefit from medication such as antidepressants and cognitive behavior therapy has shown to be an effective form of therapy for both children and adults. In this type of therapy people with OCD are slowly exposed to their fears that cause the obsessions such as the fear of contamination or dirt. It will take time to learn the techniques to create new thought patterns that are more supportive but this therapy is known for its improvements.Previous Page Back to Asperger-Advice.com Homepage
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