OCD Test

By Allen S. Fox


The condition often referred to as "OCD" (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a serious anxiety disorder that occurs in approximately 2% of all adults. An aspect that distinguishes it from many other mental health issues is how much it varies among the range of people suffering it. The actual symptoms for instance, can vary from an obsession with counting objects to experiencing frequently occurring thoughts of violence. When seeking a diagnosis, a registered doctor with experience treating Obsessive Compulsive patients can provide an accurate assessment. If this option isn't available though - there are effective online OCD tests that can serve to screen patients as the first step of the diagnosis process.

If you think that, there is a possibility you may be suffering from OCD you should make a plan to consult with a professional psychiatrist. One of the treatments that is available is CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural-Therapy), this is favoured by most people as there is no use of any medication required, which means fewer risks are involved. Medication is the second step, but only if the first step has not worked for you, as some of the medication used is very powerful, antidepressants and antipsychotics are used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and along with this, there are some side effects. This is where seeing a licensed mental health therapist is crucial to the recovery procedure.

The first signs generally emerge in childhood, but it is not usually until the teenage years that people become self-aware of the problem. As children often have quite eccentric personalities generally, it is harder to identify those mild cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder amidst regular attention-seeking behaviour. If required, you should start formulating a plan for therapy with a medical professional afterwards if the results indicates a problem may exist.

In addition to this, patients must also have other signs and symptoms. These include: recurrent thoughts, excessive worries about random things, repetitive behavior, uncalled for mental acts. Once the doctor has determined that this is the disorder, treatment is the next step. There are a variety of different treatment options that each person can explore.Treatments.Medication and psychotherapy are the most common treatments and are sometimes done simultaneously. The medications can help patients gain control of their compulsions and obsessions so they don't take over their everyday life. Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed because they help change brain chemistry. Some of the antidepressants that are prescribed include: Prozac, Zoloft, Anafranil and Paxil. There are other options, but these are normally tried first. The tests will help the doctor choose which medication to prescribe.

It is common for people with an autism spectrum disorder to also display repetitive behaviors and have repetitive thoughts, comparable to those who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a condition that generally makes sufferers feel uncomfortable with their symptoms, and wish that they could get rid of them. On the other hand children with autism are usually unconcerned with their various obsessions or behaviors and may even see them as comforting, increasing the frequency during stressful situations as a calming mechanism.

There are two possible treatments for autism and OCD-like behaviors: behavioral therapy, and medication. Frequently, these two forms of therapy are prescribed together.The most common kind of medication prescribed for treating OCD behaviors in autistic individuals are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). SSRIs are antidepressant medications that have also shown to be helpful in reducing OCD behaviors. However, they can come with some serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Parents' whose children are on SSRIs should monitor behaviors closely and report anything out of the ordinary to a medical professional.

Obsessions are ideas or thoughts that come into the mind and will not go away. Generally these thoughts are unwanted ideas that most people would never act out on, like hurting a loved one. Most of these thoughts make absolutely no sense and will come at all times during the day and night.Some obsessions are fears, some are sexual and some are aggressive. Some of the most common obsessions include: fear of being touched, thoughts of being in a car accident, images of hurting a loved one, repeating pornographic images, hair pulling and skin lesions from picking at the skin. These have the ability to cause a lot of anxiety for people because they are so persistent and won't seem to go away.

Despite the person's realizing that these thoughts are irrational, these thoughts are irresistible to the person affected by the OCD.The diagnosis of OCD has been described in medicine for more than 100 years. OCD occurs fairly equally among people, regardless of culture. The largest onset group by age is typically 15-24 years old however OCD can be triggered at almost any age. Individuals with OCD are more likely to also develop an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, or other behavioral concerns such as depression.While there is no known specific cause for OCD, family history and bio-neurological disorder in the brain are thought to be factors in who will get the illness. People who have relatives with OCD are generally at a somewhat higher risk of developing the disorder themselves. It is thought that an imbalance of the chemical serotonin in the brain may also contribute to the development of OCD. 50-60% of those who reported having OCD stated a stress event was occurring or had occurred around the time of onset, and almost all state that stress increases the symptoms of OCD.

Some practitioners will administer a self-test of screening questions commonly called a Y-BOCS test to individuals whom they suspect may be suffering from OCD. In addition, mental-health professionals will explore the possibility that the individual's symptoms are caused by another emotional illness instead of or in addition to OCD. A classic example is people with an addiction often have obsessions or compulsions, but those symptom characteristics generally only involve the object of the addiction. The practitioner will also likely ensure that a physical examination and any other appropriate tests have been done recently to explore whether there is any medical problem that could be contributing to the signs or symptoms of OCD.Most individuals with OCD experience some symptoms of the disorder indefinitely, with times of improvement alternating with times of difficulty. However, the prognosis is most favorable for OCD sufferers who have milder symptoms that last for less time and who have no other problems before developing this illness.

Each person is different with the types of symptoms they have, but this can change as an individual grows older. Even if one symptom occurs during the adolescent years of a child, they could gain many others as they grow into a young adult. The severity of OCD will depend on the person, their experiences and where they live as well. Sometimes OCD can easily be controlled by someone when they know how to calm themselves, but it can easily become uncontrollable and a huge hazard to health.Family members should keep a close eye on loved ones that have OCD. There can be times when the severity of the symptoms rises and the individual ends up hurting themselves or someone else. In order to avoid this, treatment from a doctor should be sought after. Medication is an immediate treatment that can help balance out the serotonin inside the brain. This is often the best treatment option for sufferers because it calms them down and greatly reduces their levels of anxiety.




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