Possible causes of OCD

There are a number of causes that have been put forward for OCD. These
range from ideas coming from Sigmund Freud over 100 years ago, to
modern psychological theories such as the "cognitive-behavioural model of
OCD", and to biological theories regarding how the brain is wired or
operates.

Biological theories suggest that specific regions of the brain become

dysfunctional in OCD. This is particularly in the brain circuit between the
frontal cortex (the area of brain near your forehead) and the basal ganglia
that is deep within the brain. There has been some debate as to how much
support there is in OCD for "hardware" problems (how the brain is wired)
verses "software" problems (how the brain works). Our own research
supports that some minor problems in the way the brain works are evident,
and that these are related to behaviours and thinking patterns that can be
changed with psychological treatment, such as with the OCD Stop program.

There have also been suggestions that depletion of the brain chemical
"serotonin" is involved in OCD. This is the same brain chemical that is said to
be lacking in the brain of people who are depressed. However, while
medications that increase serotonin in the brain may help OCD, this does
not mean that a lack of serotonin caused the OCD. As an analogy, taking
aspirin helps headaches. But it cannot be said that an "aspirin deficiency"
caused the headache in the first place.

While there may be some biological components to OCD, possibly more

important elements are the way that people think - their cognitions - and
how they act - their behaviours.

There is extensive evidence for the role of people's thoughts and behaviours
in OCD, and some of the following modules will present that information to
you. The importance of changing people's thinking, and the way they act,
forms the basis of cognitive-behavioural therapy for OCD. This form of
treatment has consistently been shown to be effective for OCD.

© 2009 Swinburne University of Technology

OCD_D017_01_0809
 OCD Stop takes the cognitive-behavioural strategies that have previously
been shown to be most effective in managing OCD, and puts them
together into the one treatment package. This program has been shown to
have large treatment effects for people with OCD. We hope it helps you to
overcome your difficulties with OCD.

© 2009 Swinburne University of Technology

OCD_D017_01_0809