If you watch America's Got Talent you'll notice that Howie Mandel only fist bumps with people, but doesn't shake hands. Howie has mysophobia (fear of germs) part of OCD. That's why he always shaves his head because it makes him feel cleaner. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Robert Burton developed the first diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder in the 17th century. Approximately 3.3 million people in the United States suffer from OCD. 2% of these patients are adults and the rest are children. The symptoms of OCD are numerous and all worsen due to stress, illness and fatigue. Symptoms of obsession may consist of unwanted repetitive ideas, fear of contamination, aggressive urges, persistent sexual thoughts, images of hurting someone you love, and/or thoughts of causing harm to yourself or others. The most common signs of compulsiveness are constant checking, constant counting, repetitive cleaning, constantly checking stoves or door locks, and arranging objects so that they face a certain way. The short-term effects of OCD are the inability to function as an active member of society, the inability to maintain relationships, and having difficulty in school and work. Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Trichotillomania (hair pulling), Excoriation Disorder (skin picking), and Hoarding Disorder are all similar to OCD and can also be part of OCD along with anxiety and depression. “Knowing that a fear is not “logical” does not decrease anxiety” (K,Natalie,N/A). A case study on OCD I read involved a 27-year-old woman named CD. She complained of excessive checking started in his childhood. He spent hours doing his homework to make sure it was perfect. His homework that he turned in could not have erasures or eraser marks hours When she was in college she developed new rituals such as checking appliances to make sure they were turned off, checking the faucet to make sure it wasn't working, and checking if all doors were closed for fear of causing harm to herself or others Her bedroom ritual lasted 3-4 hours, leaving little time for sleep or study. She went to a therapist but didn't tell him about her rituals for fear of being labeled crazy. Her rituals ended up consuming so much of her time be late for class or miss it altogether. His mood and appetite plummeted to the point that he eventually dropped out of college and returned home. Her parents noticed severe changes in celiac disease and took her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist diagnosed her with depression. After trying two different types of antidepressants and not noticing any changes in his behavior, CD got a second opinion. She felt comfortable enough with him to admit her routine. By talking to him and taking an antidepressant her routine took less time, became manageable, and allowed her to be able to go back to college and graduate. Many people wonder what causes OCD. Many researchers suggest that the cause of OCD is poor communication between the front of the brain and the deeper structures of the brain. Poor communication lies in the neurotransmitter (essentially a messenger) called serotonin, which is used by brain structures. The parts of the body affected by theobsessive compulsive disorder are muscles and nerves, stiffening, increased heart rate, blood circulation, also hands may become red and irritated due to excessive washing, etc. These effects are suffered equally by women and men of all ethnic groups, but in childhood more boys than girls suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder since the age of onset for boys is 6-15 years and 20-29 for girls. Most people with OCD are diagnosed by age 40. Treatment options for OCD are medications, therapy, and surgery. Some people see a change in using just the therapy or medicine alone, but most see the best results in using the therapy and medicine together for treatment. Surgery is used as a last resort for people who have not responded well to medicine and therapy. There are many types of therapy used to help people with OCD. Therapy can be individual, family or group. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for most. Exposure and response prevention (type of CBT) gradually exposes the patient to feared objects or obsessions and helps the patient learn healthy ways to cope with their OCD. The medications that are usually prescribed to OCD sufferers are antidepressants also known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors since people with OCD have imbalanced serotonin levels. Common antidepressants prescribed are Clomipramine, also known as Anafranil (for children 10 years and older), Fluoxetine AKA Prozac (for adults and children 7 years and older), Fluvoxamine (for adults and children 8 years and older), Paroxetine also known as Paxil and Pexeva. (for adults only) and Sertraline also known as Zoloft (for adults and children aged 6 years and older). Some of the side effects can be serious for patients, so some stop taking the drug. In the case study I read that the subject used therapy and drugs for treatment. Therapy and medications helped her get to the point where she returned and completed college. OCD evolves over the course of a person's life from mild to almost gone, and without treatment it can get to the point where OCD completely consumes one's life. The long-term effects of not treating OCD are depression, constant anxiety, and high risk of substance abuse, which is due to the poor quality of life people suffer from extreme OCD. Finally, the sooner OCD sufferers receive treatment, the better because OCD becomes more difficult to treat the longer people wait to get help. OCD is not preventable, but symptoms can be managed by continuing therapy and taking medications exactly as prescribed. Continuing treatment also prevents relapses. Some misconceptions about OCD are: We all have a little OCD sometimes, OCD is all about hand washing, cleaning and being clean and OCD is no big deal, they just need to relax. These misconceptions state the exact opposite of what OCD is about. “I wish people understood how disabling it is when they say 'I'm so obsessive compulsive.' OCD is real and valid and I am hesitant to talk about my experience with OCD, 70(11), 1190.