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Some adults like to wash their hands, but Nora does it constantly. She wants to stop, but her
hands just don't feel clean enough and she can't make herself turn off the water. At times she scrubs her
hands until they are red and raw. After eating, she feels that her hands are extremely dirty and she must
wash them again. She realizes that she has no control over her actions, and it scares her.

Since she spends so much time washing her hands, Nora has to rush to get to work on time. At
work, she tries not to touch doorknobs or handrails, perturbed that if she does she may possibly catch a
severe disease. From time to time, Nora gets behind in her work because she feels that she needs to
keep checking it over and over for it to be perfect.

Nora is consequently trying hard to hide her habits. She worries that she might be going crazy
or that people would assume she was weird if they knew what she was doing. Nora knows that the time
she spends washing her hands and checking over her work could be spent having fun with family and
friends or relaxing, but she can't seem to stop herself. Why is Nora like this? This is because Nora has
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is distinguished by

recurring, unwanted thoughts and or repetitive behaviors. Recurring behaviors such as hand washing,
counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessed thoughts or
making them go away. Healthy people also have rituals, such as checking to see if the stove is off
several times before leaving the house. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only
temporary relief, and not performing them noticeably increases

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anxiety. It is as if one doesn't have a choice but to repeat these rituals. A person suffering from
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder knows that his/her actions are irrational, but doesn't have the ability to
do anything about them. To them, it seems that if they don't perform a certain habit, something bad will
happen. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder goes over the line from a habit to a severe obsession.

People with OCD have constant, disturbing thoughts and use compulsions to control the
anxiety these thoughts create but most of the time, the compulsions end up controlling them. For
example, if people are obsessed with germs or dirt, they may develop a compulsion to wash their hands
over and over again. If they develop an obsession with intruders, they may lock and relock their doors
multiple before going to bed. Being afraid of social embarrassment may prompt people with OCD to
comb their hair compulsively in front of a mirror; sometimes they get “caught” in the mirror and can’t
move away from it. Performing such rituals is not pleasurable. At best, it produces temporary relief
from the anxiety created by obsessive thoughts (Haggerty, 2006). People feel so drawn into their
activities that they lose the feel of reality.

Other common rituals are a need to repeatedly check things and touch things in a particular
sequence, or count things. Some common obsessions include having frequent thoughts of violence and
desire to hurt loved ones, persistently thinking about performing sexual acts the person dislikes, or
having thoughts that are prohibited by religious beliefs.
 Although people without OCD perform tasks in habitual manner, those with OCD tend to have
interference when it comes to daily life and they find the repetition distressing.

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While most adults with OCD recognize that what they are doing is senseless, some adults and most
children may not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.

OCD affects about 2.2 million American adults, a problem that can be accompanied by
eating disorders, other anxiety disorders, or depression. The number of men and women who are
diagnosed with OCD are roughly equal numbers and usually appears in childhood, adolescence, or
early adulthood. One-third of adults with OCD develop symptoms as children, and research indicates
that OCD might run in families.

The course of the disease varies greatly, depending on the severity of someone’s OCD.
Symptoms may come and go, ease over time, or get worse. If OCD becomes severe, it can keep a
person from working or carrying out normal responsibilities at home. People with OCD may try to help
themselves by avoiding situations that trigger their obsessions, or they may use alcohol or drugs to
calm themselves. Evidently, the disease can have many negative effects on one's life.

OCD can usually be treated certain medications and exposure-based psychotherapy, in which
people face situations that cause fear or anxiety and become less sensitive to them. The National
Institute of Mental Health is supporting the research of new approaches and a treatment for people
who’s OCD does not respond well to the therapies that already exist. Some of these new approaches
include combination and augmentation treatments, as well as modern techniques such as deep brain
stimulation.

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Bibliography

Haggerty, M.D., Jim. "A List of Common Obsessions." Www./psychcentral.com. 17 Feb. 2006.

08 Apr. 2009 <http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/a-list-of-common-obsessions/>.

Clinic, Mayo. "Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)." www.mayoclinic.com. 19 Dec. 2008.

11 Apr. 2009 <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obsessive-compulsive-

disorder/ds00189>.
Myers, D (Ed.). (2004). Psychology: Seventh Edition. (Pages 636). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.