What is OCD....?

Yesterday i've stumbled across an article about OCD commonly known as Obsessive-compulsive Disorders.... I felt strange because sometimes i tend to repeat things too, specially when you get used to it for a long time.... One of these is checking everything specially the stove's burner and the electrical plugs and a lot of hazardous things in the house before i go to work in the morning like it's some sort of a daily ritual for me....! I don't believe that it has any serious connections to OCD at all....! It's just that we'are very much aware of the dangers around us and we'are just being prepared and ahead of things all the time i guess.... In that case pala, OCD is common in everyone, ano sa palagay nyo....? Is there anything in common between OCD and being a perfectionist....? Well, i'm not a perfectionist i believe, but there's a lot of them in our society today....! Some are even bigger people, leaders and prominent figures of the world....!

Ganito ang nakasulat dun sa article kahapon:

It's normal to check over homework to be sure it's done right — in fact, it's a good idea. But when Donna does her homework or takes a test, she feels like she has to check each problem over and over. She just wants to make sure her answer is right — but as soon as she's checked once, she feels the need to check again, just to be sure. It takes her hours to do homework, and she often doesn't finish tests because she keeps going back to check previous answers.

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)....?

OCD is a type of anxiety disorder. People with OCD become preoccupied with whether something could be harmful, dangerous, wrong, or dirty — or with thoughts about bad stuff that might happen. With OCD, upsetting or scary thoughts or images, called obsessions, pop into a person's mind and are hard to shake.

People with OCD feel strong urges to do certain things repeatedly — called rituals or compulsions — in order to banish the scary thoughts, or to try to ward off the bad thing they dread, or to make extra sure that things are safe or clean or right. By doing a ritual, someone with OCD is trying to feel absolutely certain that something bad won't happen.

Sometimes the obsessions and compulsions seem to be related to each other. For example, if a person with OCD has obsessions (worry thoughts) about germs and about getting sick, these might be accompanied by compulsions (urges and behaviors) to wash a lot, clean things, or try not to touch things that might be germy.
But sometimes the compulsions don't seem to have anything to do with the fear a person is trying to banish. Someone with OCD might get the idea that if things aren't arranged just so on a desk, someone they love could get sick or die. Many times, the rituals seem odd even to the person with OCD. For this reason, many people with OCD try to hide their symptoms from others.

Although people with OCD feel a brief sense of relief when they do a compulsion, the compulsions actually strengthen the OCD thoughts, encouraging them to return. The more someone does the compulsions, the stronger the illness becomes. When OCD is severe, the fear obsessions can be extremely distressing and rituals can take up hours of a person's day. But for someone with OCD, resisting the urge to do compulsions can be very difficult.

What Causes OCD?

Experts believe OCD is related to levels of a normal chemical in the brain called serotonin (pronounced: sir-uh-toe-nin). When the proper flow of serotonin is blocked, the brain's "alarm system" overreacts and misinterprets information. Danger messages are mistakenly triggered like "false alarms." Instead of the brain filtering out these unnecessary thoughts, the mind dwells on them — and the person experiences unrealistic fear and doubt.

A doctor such as a psychologist or psychiatrist has to ask you questions about obsessions and compulsions. They will ask and discuss questions like:

* Do you have worries, thoughts, images, feelings, or ideas that bother or upset or scare you?

* Do you feel you have to check, repeat, ask, or do things over and over again?

* Do you feel you have to do things a certain number of times, or in a certain pattern?

Once a doctor has diagnosed a person with OCD, he or she can begin treating the condition. The good news is that there are treatments that really work. Lots of mental health specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors are trained in treating OCD.

Having OCD doesn't mean a person is crazy — or that he or she should just be able stop the obsessions and compulsions alone. Going to the doctor when you have flu isn't embarrassing, and neither is seeking treatment if you think you have OCD. With help, people can get relief from OCD and have more time and energy to spend doing things they enjoy.

Nakakatakot isipin ano....? I guess a diet of the mind is better than any kind therapy here.... You'll just have to ignore it everytime you felt like doing it again.... Just like telling yourself that, "it's okay, you've done enough there.... Just leave it that way 'coz everything will be fine...." Anyways, will power is the best tool here i think....! O ano, pinag-isip ko na naman kayo ha he-he....! Pasensya na sa mahabang topic....! Ingatz all....! =D