Obsessive compulsive disorder affects about 1 in 100 adults in the United States. It can begin in childhood and may run in families. Communication problems within the brain may be at fault for developing this disorder. With the right therapy, the chemical structure of the brain circuits in those afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder can become more normal.
Right Brain Hemisphere
The right hemisphere of the brain controls depth perception, awareness of body position and the left side of the body. The right hemisphere is the site for understanding and remembering things we see, according to the Centre of Neuro Skills website. It is also involved in putting information together to compose the full picture. The right hemisphere is thought to be involved in tracking and responding to information that signals danger, according to the Psych Central website. A 2007 study published in "Psychophysiology" found that the right hemisphere of the brain is involved in responding to immediate threats due to anxious arousal, which is characterized by a pounding heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, feelings of choking and shortness of breath.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a disorder of the brain that affects behavior. It consists of both obsessions and compulsions and causes severe anxiety in those afflicted. Typically, OCD gets in the way of daily activities. Anxiety is your brain's way of telling you something is wrong, but in someone with OCD, this warning system is not operating correctly, according to the International OCD Foundation. A brain with OCD is constantly giving off a warning of danger. Obsessions are repetitive thoughts, images or impulses that a person finds disturbing, uncomfortable or unwanted and which feel out of the person's control. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that help the individual neutralize or make the obsessions go away.
Exercises
Games that require strategy or multitasking can help build the right hemisphere. These types of games can increase creativity, accelerate thought processes, improve concentration and memory, musical aptitude and intuition, according to the Learning Rx website. Music, art and imagination are also right brain activities, according to MayoClinic.com. Just changing a typical routine helps to wake up your brain as does meeting a new person or learning a new skill. Memorizing, meditation and engaging in social activity work the brain. Meditating increases happiness, contentment and reduces stress and anxiety.
Significance
Discovering which part of the brain reacts to anxiety-provoking stimuli can help determine the type of treatment that is needed to overcome anxiety disorders. The 2007 study published in "Psychophysiology" determined that the left hemisphere of the brain is most active in brains with OCD and the right hemisphere is lacking in activity. Doing exercises that emphasize activity in the right hemisphere can help those with OCD decrease symptoms by utilizing more of the brain. Right hemisphere brain exercises can help change the activity and reactions to panic and high stress situations, according to the Psych Central website.
Considerations
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a popular treatment for those with OCD. One type is called exposure and response prevention. This therapy confronts the thoughts, images, objects and situations that make a person anxious, according to the International OCD Foundation. When confronted with these situations, the patient is instructed to make a choice not to do the compulsive behavior. After multiple exposures, anxiety levels drop when confronted with provoking scenarios.
References
- Psych Central: Brain Response to Anxiety
- Centre for Neuro Skills: Brain Anatomy and Function: Hemisphere Brain Functions
- International OCD Foundation: What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
- Penn State: Department of Bioengineering: Specificity of Regional Brain Activity in Anxiety Types During Emotion Processing
- MayoClinic.com: Staying Mentally Sharp Takes Brain Work
- Learning Rx: Right Brain Exercises
