obsessive-compulsive disorder
...tamination, fear of making a mistake, fear of causing harm to others, and excessive doubt. Therefore, some of the most common compulsions would be cleaning or washing, checking, arranging or organizing, and counting or repeating. OCD was thought to be rare for many years. The actual number of people thought to have the disorder was not accurate, since the people would hide their problems to avoid embarrassment. Some more recent studies show that approximately five million Americans suffer from OCD, which is about one out of every fifty Americans. OCD is not contagious, but is found in people from all ethnic groups, and both males and females are equally affected. Symptoms of OCD typically begin during teenage years and early adulthood; although research has shown that some children develop the illness as early in life as pre-school. Now, OCD is the fourth most common mental illness, and it is recognized by experts throughout the world. No one has found a single, proven cause for OCD. OCD does appear to be caused by increased activity in parts of the orbital frontal cortex. Some research shows that it may have to do with abnormal functioning of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Serotonin helps to keep people from repeating the same behaviors over and over again. A person suffering from OCD may not have enough serotonin. Stress doesn’t cause OCD, but a stressful event like the death of a loved one or a divorce can trigger the onset of the disorder. People with OCD often suffer from other types of anxiety as well. For instance they may have phobias like the fear of spiders or the fear of heights. They may even have panic attacks. Also, about seventy percent of adults with OCD have an episode of major depression at some point in their lives. Alcohol and drug abuse have became problems when people with OCD turn to these substances for relief. Still, only a few disorders seem to be related to OCD. Tourette syndrome is strongly related to OCD. Other disorders include trichotillomania (a compulsion to pull out ones own hair), hypochondriasis (fear of being seriously ill when you aren’t sick at all), and dysmorphobia (extreme concern with a small or imagined body defect). These disorders usually respond to the same medicines that are helpful in treating OCD. Unfortunately, OCD can not be cured, but it can be treated in several ways. One way a patient can be treated is through pharmacotherapy. Recent clinical trials have shown that drugs that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin can considerably decrease the symptoms of OCD. These selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors include Anafrinal, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Luvox. Large studies have shown that more than three-quarters of patients are helped by these medications at least a little. Also, in more than half of the patients, these medications have relieved symptoms of OCD by diminishing the...