Obsessive-compulsive disorders, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and the PANDAS connection As a person afflicted with an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder since childhood, I can say which sometimes seems hopeless. For a long time, sufferers feel that what they have is not a legitimate disorder and that they are alone in their battle. Fortunately, in recent years, more and more research is being conducted on obsessive-compulsive disorders and more and more answers are being found. Obsessive-compulsive disorders are the fourth most common psychiatric diagnosis. Sometimes the onset of symptoms is sudden, but most of the time it is a gradual progression. Precipitating events that might stimulate the onset of OCD may include emotional stress (home or work-related), increased levels of responsibility, health problems, and bereavement. According to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, “the essential features of obsessive compulsive disorder are recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are sufficiently severe to take a long time (i.e., take more than an hour a day) or to cause marked significant distress or impairment. At some point in the course of the disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. It is important to note that this is difficult for children because they tend not to realize that their compulsions are excessive or unreasonable while adults do ((1).) Compulsions are mental acts and include repeating words, ordering things, washing hands, etc. and various other movements. The goal of these compulsions is to prevent or reduce anxiety (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Paxil are effective in controlling obsessive compulsive disorders, serotonin regulation is believed to be a key factor. part of the cause of obsessive compulsive disorder. Serotonin is a very important chemical messenger in the brain and plays a role in a person's mood, aggression, impulse control, sleep, appetite, body temperature, and pain. Brain imaging studies have highlighted various abnormalities in some parts of the brains of OCD sufferers. These parts include the caudate nucleus, basil ganglia, thalamus, orbital cortex, and cingulate gyrus. Disorders that feature obsessive-compulsive symptoms of intrusive and repetitive behaviors are often called OC spectrum disorders. These include trichotillomania, monosyruptomatic hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder, and some eating disorders..