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Understanding OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:51:59 +0000

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disturbance that is distinguished by pervasive, compulsive thoughts and activities. The thoughts are designed to reduce anxiety by combining obsessions and compulsions and then repeating behaviors that produce agitation, worry, fear or alarm.

OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is very treatable.

OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder. It is as common as often as diabetes and asthma. Most adults that were diagnosed with OCD as a child will often recall childhood OCD experiences of some kind.

Signs and symptoms
Sings and symptoms may include continual hand washing, fixation with sexual or aggressive tendencies, disliking certain numbers, nervous habits or extensive hoarding. Severe emotional and financial consequences can result from OCD because these symptoms can become overwhelming in some cases.

People with OCD may appear overly suspicious, or perceive them as threatening or psychotic. Sufferers of OCD recognize their thoughts and actions as irrational and may become distressed.

An OCD person will perform repetitive tasks to relieve their related anxiety. Sometimes they believe that their life will not continue as normal unless they preform these obsessive activities. They may have the thought or image of someone close to them dying. They may also obsess someone or some thing or disease will kill them or someone they care about.

Sexual obsessions for people with OCD include kissing, touching, oral sex, intercourse, incest, or rape. This might be with someone they have met or even a family member, including the family pet. They understand that their belief does not correspond with the outside world but they feel that they must act in case their beliefs are correct.

Some OCD cases feel they have to do their compulsive habits even though they cannot explain why. Others might feel that these actions will help avoid a dreaded event from happening, and their actions alleviate the anxiety that triggers certain obsessions.

OCD signs include excessive nail biting, hair plucking, and skin picking. These actions are designed to fend off feelings of panic and dread. They feel bound to comply with irrational thoughts and behavior even though they may be aware they are acting irrationally.

People with OCD rely on their compulsions as an escape from their enslaving thoughts. They are usually aware that the relief is temporary. Sometimes they use their compulsions to prevent triggering their obsessions. The anxiety and fear that typically accompany OCD makes it hard for a person to fulfill their work, social, or family roles. Individuals with OCD will sometimes use rationalization to try and explain away their behavior.

OCD Treatment
One type of OCD therapy is called exposure and habit prevention. It involves slowly learning to tolerate the anxiety associated with not performing the habitual, obsessive, compulsive behavior. The person gradually adjusts to the anxiety producing situation and discovers that their anxiety level has decreased considerably. The exposure habit prevention is considered one of the most effective treatments.

Medications
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are medications that prevent excess serotonin from being pumped back into the original neuron that released it. Instead it then binds to the receptor sites of nearby neurons and send chemical messages that can help regulate the anxiety and obsessive thoughts.

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Symptoms, Treatment Of GAD – Generalized Anxiety Disorder

admin — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:36:35 +0000

There are an estimated 40 million people worldwide that are afflicted with Generalized Anxiety disorder (GAD). The symptoms of GAD will vary. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one of six sub categories of anxiety disorder. All forms of anxiety concern the persons unwarranted apprehension and unreasonable fear. There is an ever-present sense of foreboding or a feeling of dread deep inside them that causes extreme anxiety and uneasiness. Anxiety disorders often affect family, friends, professional careers, as well as the overall mental and physical health and well being.

GAD progresses gradually over time and affects more women than men. Some researchers attribute this to certain biological differences caused by hormonal fluctuations in women. Others suggest it may be the stereotypical gender roles a woman has and the societal expectations of perfection. As a wife, mother, caretaker, and worker, women have a lot to worry about. She cannot stop worrying about everything in her life, day in and day out. Some men can shut their worried thoughts off before it gets to be a problem.

Doctors are not absolutely sure what causes GAD, some research shows genetics can play a role. Brain chemistry can also be a factor. If neurotransmitters are imbalanced, the brains reactions to some situations are altered and this may trigger anxiety. There are also environmental factors that lead to GAD. Such things as trauma, physical and mental abuse, divorce, shifts in a person’s life could be activators.

Besides their excessive, never ending worry and tension that is due to their unrealistic perception of their problems, a person with GAD disorder often display physical symptoms such as exhaustion, muscle tension, headaches, queasiness, sweating, fatigue and bathroom habits. People with GAD may also show trouble concentrating and may be unable to fall or stay asleep at night. It is not unusual for them to experience trembling and some are easily startled.

It is common for anxiety disorders sufferers to also have panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, or other phobias.

GAD Diagnosis and Treatment

Once anxiety is suspected, symptoms are evaluated, and if confirmed to be GAD, the doctor will propose a treatment plan that frequently combines medication and cognitive behavior therapy. Benzodiazepines, also known as tranquilizers, like Xanax and Valium, may be prescribed to calm and reduce the patients physical symptoms. Antidepressants, Zoloft, Effexor, and Paxil, to name a few, are also being used to deal with GAD.

Cognitive behavior therapy teaches people suffering from these types of anxiety disorders to identify and adjust their thinking and behaviors that control their anxious feelings. This manner of therapy helps restrict distorted thinking by allowing them to look at their worries more rationally.

There are alternative treatments that may help decrease some of the symptoms associated with GAD. Instead of having a morning cup of coffee, substitute it with a cup of herbal tea. Cutting out alcoholic beverages is thought to help also. Some recommend keeping a tight rein on their sugar intake and refined carbohydrates, too.

Calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B complex are essential to a healthy nervous system and support the production of neurotransmitters; the nerve cells message carriers.

Cardiovascular exercise burns lactic acid which produce the mood enhancing chemicals called endorphins which cause the body to use oxygen more efficiently. Regular exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga can also help ease panic attacks.

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Dual Diagnosis Rehab – Treating the Underlying Cause of Addiction

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:41:53 +0000

Dual diagnosis rehab is the term applied when a person suffers from both an alcohol and or substance abuse as well as some psychiatric disorder. The psychiatric condition can be any number of problems, including depression, bi-polar, anxiety, panic, ADD/ADHD, borderline personality, schizophrenia and any number of other problems. If lasting recovery and abstinence is to be achieved, both the substance abuse and the mental condition must be properly treated simultaneously. If someone has an allergic reaction, the cause of the reaction must be determined and treated, not just the body’s surface reaction. When a drug alcohol rehab begins the process of treatment, the first thing to determined would be to see if any co-occurring mood disorders existed, nor not. Once that information is established, a comprehensive treatment plan can be assembled and real treatment, begin.

Dual Diagnosis Rehab Treatment Centers Are Better

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:28:28 +0000

Why are dual diagnosis treatment centers better? First, dual diagnosis rehab treatment centers are rehabs that provide treatment got both psychiatric and substance abuse problems. Most alcoholics and drug addicts suffer from some kind of mood disorder, like depression, bi-polar, anxiety or ADD. So when they use and abuse drugs and or alcohol it is a form of “self-medication” to relieve their discomfort. That having been said, unless a treatment properly addresses any and all co-occurring psychiatric problems, the person is at a very high risk of relapse. The best drug rehabs offer a good dual diagnosis program.

Dual Diagnosis is Real Drug Treatment

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:02:11 +0000

It seems so obvious. Drug treatment should be about treating the whole person and all their problems. Most alcoholics and drug addicts are self medicating themselves and their problems with drugs and alcohol. And so when an addict or alcoholic goes to drug rehab and treatment they should be treated not only for their addiction and alcoholism but also any co-occurring problems such as depression, anxiety or ADHD. Dual diagnosis is still the preferred terminology for this problem. Dual diagnosis rehabs treat not only the drug and alcohol problem but the co-occurring psychological issue as well. This is real treatment at its best.

Dual Diagnosis Residential Rehab Treatment Centers are Best

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:00:48 +0000

Just to be sure, dual diagnosis (aka co-occurring disorder) is present when a person has both an alcohol and or drug problem with a psychiatric condition, such as depression. And, for the record, that usually means the person is using alcohol and or drugs to self medicate the psychiatric disorder. What that also means is that if someone suffers from bi polar, depression, ADHD, anxiety or any other psychiatric condition, and also is abusing alcohol or drugs, they need to go to a rehab that is staffed and capable of treating both problems. Otherwise, there is a very good chance the person will not receive the rehab treatment help they need and probably not achieve the recovery they seek.

Dual Diagnosis Rehab Is A Must For Most

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:59:59 +0000

In case your not sure what dual diagnosis means, join the club. Most people have never heard of dual diagnosis, let alone know its meaning. You might guess it means when a person have 2 or more diagnosis, and that is correct. Specifically, it refers to someone who suffers from both alcohol or substance abuse and some kind of psychiatric problem too. The majority of people who abuse drugs and or alcohol are doing so to self medicate and self soothe a mental disorder. It is also known as a co-occurring condition. When someone reaches the point where they need to go to rehab, it better be a dual diagnosis rehab, and they most certainly need to have other issues correctly diagnosed and treated. Otherwise, the person will have not resolved the underlying cause and will almost certainly be back using again.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment is the Key to Recovery

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:07:33 +0000

Dual Diagnosis, also referred to as co-occurring disorder, is when a person has both a substance abuse problem and a psychiatric issue. Unless the psychiatric issue is properly addressed, there is a very good chance the person will not be able to sustain long term abstinence and recovery. The vast majority of alcoholics and drug addicts are using these chemicals to self medicate and self soothe their psychiatric problems. Dual diagnosis treatment centers are designed specifically to treat not only the substance abuse, but also the underlying cause of much of the drug and or alcohol use, and thereby resolving the primary cause.