Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Unwanted repetitive behaviors and thoughts afflict about 2 percent of the population, typically beginning in the teen years but often much earlier. The chronic condition, caused by a mix of neurobiologic and environmental factors, responds to both drug therapy and exposure psychotherapy.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling anxiety disorder. The person afflicted with OCD becomes trapped in a pattern of repetitive senseless thoughts and behaviors that are very difficult to overcome. A person's level of OCD can be anywhere from mild to severe, but if severe and left untreated, it can destroy a person's capacity to function at work, at school or even to lead a comfortable existence in the home.

For many years, mental health professionals thought of OCD as a rare disease because only a small minority of their patients admitted to having the condition. The disorder often went unrecognized because many of those afflicted with OCD, ashamed of their repetitive thoughts and behaviors, failed to seek treatment. This led to underestimates of the number of people with the illness. However, a survey conducted in the early 1980s by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provided new knowledge about the prevalence of OCD. The NIMH survey showed that OCD affects more than 2 percent of the population, meaning that OCD is more common than such severe mental illnesses as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or panic disorder. OCD strikes people of all ethnic groups. Males and females are equally affected.

Although OCD symptoms typically begin during the teen years or early adulthood, research shows that some children may even develop the illness during preschool. Studies indicate that at least one-third of cases of adult OCD began in childhood. Suffering from OCD during early stages of a child's development can cause severe problems for the child. It is important that the child receive evaluation and treatment as soon as possible to prevent the child from missing important opportunities because of this disorder.

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