scholarly journals Experiences of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (14) ◽  
pp. 2009-2023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Knapton

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health problem characterized by persistent obsessions and compulsions. This article provides insights into experiences of OCD through a qualitative, thematic analysis performed on a set of interviews with people with OCD. Four themes were found as central in the participants’ descriptions of OCD episodes: (a) space, (b) the body, (c) objects, and (d) interactions. The findings also show that episodes of OCD can be grouped into three broad categories: (a) activity episodes, which revolve around everyday tasks; (b) state episodes, which are concerned with the self and identity; and (c) object episodes, which are concerned with the effects of objects on the self. The relationship of this three-way classification of OCD episodes to existing cognitive models of OCD is discussed. The study also demonstrates the value of categorizing episodes, rather than people, into subtypes of OCD so that intra-participant variation can be highlighted.

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neville J. King ◽  
Thomas H. Ollendick ◽  
Iain M. Montgomery

This selective review shows that childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious condition that requires early identification and treatment. Initially, we examine the relationship of childhood rituals to OCD, and discuss recent findings on the epidemiology of childhood OCD. The DSM-IV criteria for OCD are presented, along with recent findings on psychopathology. Clinical management of childhood OCD is a challenging and difficult task for mental health professionals. We briefly describe and evaluate advances in behavioural treatment — mainly in vivo exposure and response prevention. The adjunctive use of antidepressant medication is also examined. Whilst these clinical innovations are promising, further controlled evaluations are necessary before the efficacy of behavioural intervention can be confidently asserted.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Rasmussen ◽  
Gail Steketee ◽  
Michelle Silverman ◽  
Sabine Wilhelm

This study examined hoarding symptoms and schizotypal personality traits (SPTs) in 38 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and explored early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) as partial mediators between hoarding symptoms and schizotypal traits in OCD. Hoarding and symmetry/ordering symptoms were correlated with total schizotypal score on the Personality Disorder Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4). Hoarding predicted the total number of schizotypal traits on the PDQ-4 after adjusting for symmetry/ordering symptoms. Schizotypal traits but not hoarding symptoms were significantly correlated with the social isolation and mistrust/abuse schemas. Schizotypal traits and hoarding were both associated with the emotional inhibition and emotional deprivation schemas, but neither of these mediated the relationship between schizotypal traits and hoarding. Clinical implications for understanding and treating hoarding and schizotypal personality in OCD are discussed.


Author(s):  
Jessica Simberlund ◽  
Eric Hollander

This chapter describes the relationship of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the concept of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. BDD is proposed to be part of an obsessive-compulsive spectrum of disorders, given its many similarities to OCD. OCD and BDD are both characterized by obsessions and compulsions, although in BDD individuals focus specifically on body image concerns, whereas in OCD they typically focus on concerns such as contamination, harm, and aggression. Distress that results from obsessions usually generates compulsive behaviors intended to reduce emotional discomfort. Individuals with BDD are more likely to have delusional beliefs and significantly poorer insight. Individuals with BDD report higher rates of major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts. OCD and BDD demonstrate familiality, indicating that they are likely related conditions. OCD and BDD are thought to be heterogeneous disorders that result from both genetic and environmental factors, some of which appear to be shared; for example, they appear to share some abnormalities involving the basal ganglia and limbic system (specifically the caudate nucleus).


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 347-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine A. Phillips ◽  
Walter H. Kaye

ABSTRACTBody dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and eating disorders are body image disorders that have long been hypothesized to be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Available data suggest that BDD and eating disorders are often comorbid with OCD. Data from a variety of domains suggest that both BDD and eating disorders have many similarities with OCD and seem related to OCD. However, these disorders also differ from OCD in some ways. Additional research is needed on the relationship of BDD and eating disorders to OCD, including studies that directly compare them to OCD in a variety of domains, including phenomenology, family history, neurobiology, and etiology.


2001 ◽  
Vol 189 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette A. Cullen ◽  
Jack F. Samuels ◽  
O. Joseph Bienvenu ◽  
Marco Grados ◽  
Rudolf Hoehn-Saric ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.Joseph Bienvenu ◽  
Jack F Samuels ◽  
Mark A Riddle ◽  
Rudolf Hoehn-Saric ◽  
Kung-Yee Liang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Joshua S. Walden

The book’s epilogue explores the place of musical portraiture in the context of posthumous depictions of the deceased, and in relation to the so-called posthuman condition, which describes contemporary changes in the relationship of the individual with such aspects of life as technology and the body. It first examines Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo to view how Bernard Herrmann’s score relates to issues of portraiture and the depiction of the identity of the deceased. It then considers the work of cyborg composer-artist Neil Harbisson, who has aimed, through the use of new capabilities of hybridity between the body and technology, to convey something akin to visual likeness in his series of Sound Portraits. The epilogue shows how an examination of contemporary views of posthumous and posthuman identities helps to illuminate the ways music represents the self throughout the genre of musical portraiture.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document