Obsession and Compulsion Are the Key Features in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder explained by Cockerham as having both biological and psychological causes playing a role (2011). The disorder is often accompanied by two main features, the AllPsych website states:
Key features of this disorder include obsessions (persistent, often irrational, and seemingly uncontrollable thoughts) and compulsions (actions which are used to neutralize the obsessions) (2011).
In the journal article, Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Students: Symptoms and School-Based Interventions, they state, “Common obsessions in children and adolescents include intrusive fears related to germs, contamination, harming oneself or others, and death” (Dyches, Leininger, Heath, and Prater 2010). The chapter, Mental Illness as A Psychiatric Disorder, by Bruce explains how compulsions are actually a neutralizer for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, “The goal of these compulsions is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress as opposed to providing pleasure or gratification. Generally, compulsions are attempts to reduce anxiety about an obsession” (1999). An example of this would be someone who feels the need to check things over and over again even though everything is how it should be. The thoughts are uncontrollable and always there so it becomes an obsession and the only way to ease thoughts is by acting out the compulsions.
In order for a behavior to be classified as obsessive-compulsive disorder, it must be problematic to everyday routine and cause an obvious impairment in everyday functioning. Examples could be like stated previously someone who needs to check everything, this can be problematic when it comes to time and getting things that need to be done finished. Ano...

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...nly be treated through a doctor. One cannot be diagnosed as having OCD unless a doctor determines that it is the underlying problem. Treatment cannot be prescribed unless by a doctor who has diagnosed you as having OCD in the first place.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a widely known disorder and that is why I chose to explain it by using the medical model, because of its ability to have such specific unique characteristics that are well known as well as having a biological cause. This disorder fits to the approach extremely well because like the model, obsessive-compulsive disorder deals with disruption of the brain which in return causes these obsessions and compulsions to occur which can be treated. Looking at all the models discussed in class I feel that this approach best fits the disorder I chose and helps the most in explaining what the disorder really is.

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