Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Nature of the Disability

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is an anxiety

disorder which, “traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts and

behaviors” (WebMD, 2009). Anxiety disorders can not only affect a person’s

mental, but also their physical behavior (Hallahan, 267). Specifically, people with

OCD tend to be excessively nervous and have to perform rituals or compulsions

to help themselves deal with the anxiety. The two symptoms of OCD are

obsessions and compulsions, which can be different for every person (WebMD,

2009). Some examples of obsessions are, but are certainly not limited to, a fear

of germs, fear of thinking bad thoughts, and the one most likely to be brought up

when talking about OCD, a need for cleanliness or order (King, 2008).

To deal with these obsessions, persons with OCD may have to perform

rituals or compulsions that to an observer may seem irrational or crazy, but to the

person performing the ritual, are a necessity. A few examples of rituals would be

refusal to make physical contact with another person, constantly cleaning or

rearranging one’s room, or even checking to make sure a door is locked multiple

times (King, 2008). Most of the people afflicted with this disease know that their

own rituals are irrational and maybe even useless, but without treatment or help,

they must perform them on a daily basis to function at all.

Causes

There is some disagreement in the scientific field on the cause of OCD.

One side of researchers and scientists believe that the disease is caused by

environmental factors, or it comes as on offset of learned behavior (WebMD,

2009). Studies show that environmental stressors can lead to the onset of the

disease or a worsening of the disease by those people who already have it. In

other words, traumatic life experiences or unexpected changes in a person’s life

can “flip a switch” in someone’s brain and leave them susceptible to the mental

disease.

While these environmental stressors may leave a person more susceptible

to the disease, growing research has began to show that the disease is actually

caused by chemical imbalance in the neurons of the brain. Recent studies have

concluded that OCD can develop in a person whom has a low level of a certain

neurotransmitter, called serotonin, in their brain (King, 2...

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...(2009) Exceptional Children. Boston, Ma. Pearson

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http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/ocd_treatment.htm

U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment. (1994) Mental Disorders and

Genetics: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Society. Washington

DC. U.S. Government Printing Office. (pg. 20)

WebMD. (2009). Mental Health: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Retrieved

March 1, 2009, from WebMD.com http://www.webmd.com/anxietypanic/

guide/obsessive-compulsive-disorder

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