OCD

• What are the 4 categories of OCD?

  • OCD
  • Trichotillomania
  • Hoarding disorder
  • Excoriation disorder
• What is OCD?

  Obsessive compulsive disorder (obsessions = recurring thoughts, compulsions = repetitive behaviour)
• What is Trichotillomania?

  Compulsive hair-pulling
• What is Hoarding disorder?

  Compulsive gathering of possessions and the inability to part with anything, regardless of it value
• What is Excoriation disorder?

  Compulsive skin-pulling
• What are the characteristics of OCD?

  Behaviour, Emotional and Cognitive

  
• What are the biological explanations of OCD?

  1. Genetic (what differences are there in the genetics of someone with OCD and someone without OCD) - Specific genes and Genetic inheritance
  2. Neural (how do transmitters - chemical in the brain - differ in someone with OCD compared to someone without OCD) - Neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) and Brain structures
• Genetic biological explanation of OCD

  
• Neural biological explanation of OCD

  
• What are the treatments of OCD?


  1. Anti-depressants: SSRIs
  2. Anti-depressants: Tricyclic
  3. Anti-anxiety: Benzodiazepines

  
• What is a strength of the treatments of OCD?

  Preferred method of treatment

  • Requires little effor, takes less time and it cheaper
• What is a strength of the treatments of OCD?

  Effectiveness of the drug

  • SSRIs are more effective at reducing OCD than placebos
• What is the counter argument for 'effectiveness of the drug' of the treatments of OCD? 


  Most research is stopped after 4 months, so there is no long-term support for the treatment
• What is a limitation of the treatments of OCD?



  Not a lasting cure

  • Drugs only cover up the symptoms instead of fixing the cause
• What is a limitation of the treatments of OCD?



  Side effects

  • SSRIs: nausea, headaches, insomnia
  • Tricyclics: hallucinations, irregular heartbeat
  • Benzodiazepines: aggressiveness, impaired memory
• What is a limitation of the treatments of OCD?



  Reductionist - other treatments

  • Alone, the drugs are reductionist as they only focus on the biological parts, but drugs AND therapy are holistic