Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a role in how you feel and has been linked to addiction and pleasure, according to Mayoclinic.com, as well as focus and memory. Although exact causes of obsessive compulsive behavior, OCD, are...
A licensed psychologist or psychiatrist--preferably one with experience in obsessive-compulsive disorder--can properly diagnose your condition and suggest a regimen for managing it if you have OCD. Depending on your unique case, you may require...
If you suffer from any type of compulsive disorder, which results in the uncontrollable urge to do something or think about doing something repeatedly, you may have obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. The American Academy of Family Physicians...
OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a personality disorder characterized by obsessive fears and worries that drive you to practice repetitive behaviors to relieve your anxiety. OCD may be a learned behavior, but doctors also believe it is...
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The behavioral aspect involves ways to react to obsessive thoughts and cut down on compulsive rituals. You work with a therapist to develop coping tools for...
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist is the only one who can properly diagnose OCD and develop a plan for treating it. Depending on your unique OCD case, you may respond well to a combination of cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapy, and...
When people hear about obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, they usually equate it with those who wash their hands all the time. The International OCD Foundation estimates that one in 200 children in America have OCD and that it interferes with...
Obsessive-compulsive behavior refers to the actions a person carries out because of intrusive thoughts they experience. True obsessive-compulsive behavior is part of obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD). Experiencing mild anxiety or having the...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often entails recurring patterns of behavior that intrude upon everyday aspects of life. A person with OCD might double-check the front door multiple times, even though he knows it's locked, or engage in...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a specific type of anxiety condition consisting of unreasonable thoughts and fears, states the Mayo Clinic. Obsessions refer to persistent thoughts stemming from fears. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors...
The first step to handling OCD is understanding it. As a family member, it can help if you know how to spot the signs of OCD and make them less frightening and confusing when they arise. Learning about the condition also signals that you care...
A licensed child therapist is likely to use cognitive-behavior therapy for a child with OCD. Such a counselor helps the child become aware of the condition and address it in ways that make sense to a young person. This type of therapy focuses on...
Most forms of OCD therapy start with a basis of cognitive treatments. It usually means that you and your therapist work together to evaluate your obsessive thoughts, their possible causes and the means by which they can be challenged and...
If you have OCD, you probably engage in ritualized behaviors, such as obsessive hand washing, checking doors or light switches multiple times, avoiding certain colors or images or adopting elaborate procedures for seemingly mundane tasks. Those...
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a form of anxiety. The obsessions, categorized by the Mayo Clinic as "unreasonable thoughts and fears," lead the OCD sufferer to compulsively repeat behavior. Trying to repress the obsessions may make the condition...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) does not affect just grownups--it also impacts children. According to the experts at Kids Health, doctors are not certain what causes OCD--a condition in which non-stop worrying and unfounded fear ensues--but it...
OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The thoughts create nervousness or fear that lead to compulsions or rituals to get rid of the feelings, the American...
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a behavioral anxiety disorder resulting in unwanted thoughts and actions, leading to repetitive behavior that interrupts your lifestyle. Ashwagandha is an herb used in traditional medicine shown to have...
Compulsive behaviors refer to actions that the patient cannot control and interfere in the patient's life. HelpGuide.org notes that a patient can have the compulsive behaviors alone, or as part of a disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder...
Hobbies and healthy recurring activities can take the place of obsessive-compulsive thoughts if practiced regularly. In particular, activities that help you become more aware of your body's physical existence can calm you. Yoga and meditation...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by a combination of unwanted, repetitive thoughts and ritualistic actions performed in an attempt to silence the thoughts. According to the International OCD Foundation, one out of...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) strikes men and women equally, with symptoms often first appearing in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) reports that approximately 2.2 million American...
Exact symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) vary, but they usually stem from the presence of troubling thoughts or images that appear in your mind. They can be thoughts of violence, fears about illness or contagion, recurring images of...
OCD medication typically helps regulate serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter found throughout the brain. Some of the brain's receptors absorb serotonin and release it again, which plays a major part in the way the brain works. Though studies...
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is generally regarded as the most effective form of therapy to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Cognitive therapy works to shed light on your thought patterns, examine their underlying roots and help you...
Affecting 2.2 million adults in the United States, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder where the patient has invasive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The...
Obsessive compulsive disorder, often abbreviated as OCD, results in invasive thoughts that drive patients to perform repetitive behaviors. Patients with OCD have a cycle of symptoms: They perform the compulsions to reduce the obsessions, but the...
Researchers aren't sure what causes obsessive-compulsive disorder, although genetics seems to play a role in some cases. Someone who is obsessive is plagued by unwanted and persistent feelings to an extent that is obsessive. Someone who is...
Mindfulness is the practice of being in the moment. It stresses calmness and stability and allows you to observe your emotions without judging them. When obsessive thoughts arise, you do not deny them, but neither do you allow yourself to be...
