1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
By Araya Shepherd and Nancy Li

2. What is OCD?
Short for “obsessive compulsive disorder”
 Often mistaken for OCPD
Anxiety disorder
 Repetitious thoughts, actions, or both
 Includes obsessions and compulsions
Tends to occur in teens and young adults
 2-3% of the population have OCD

3. Symptoms
Anxiety
 Overwhelming sense of impending doom,
feeling than an action has not been completed
 Ex: thinking the door is unlocked
Obsessive thoughts
 Ex: constant fear of germs,
thinking that harm will come to a loved one
Compulsive Behaviors
 Goes hand-in-hand with obsessive thoughts
 Ex: constantly washing hands, checking locks countless times

4. OCD in Film
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
 Daisy Randone
 Only ate chicken
 Systematically left
carcasses under bed
 Only ate in room
• The Lobotomist
 Used as a way of treating OCD

5. Treatments
Medication
 Psychiatrist prescribes
 Not a permanent solution
Types of medication
 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
 Inhibits reuptake of serotonin
 Varies in potency
 Preferred treatment
 Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
 Inhibits reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine
 Very effective, but has more side effects than SSRIs

6. Treatments, cont’d
Therapy
 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
 Non-pharmacological treatment
 Based on idea that obsessions give rise to anxiety
 Compulsive behaviors are strengthened b/c they reduce
anxiety
 Exposure and response prevention
 Patient confronts object, thought, situation
 Compulsive behaviors gradually decrease

7. Treatments, cont’d
Psychosurgery
 Last resort (meds and therapy don’t work)
 Controversial – destroys brain cells
 The Lobotomist (film) – lobotomies perceived as:
 Unethical
 Ineffective
 Types
 Radio Frequency Waves (most common in the U.S.)
 Destroys small amount of brain tissue
 Disrupts circuit in brain associated with OCD
 25-70% effective

8. Stress Management
One of the biggest triggers of OCD is stress
 Goal: manage the stress
 Proper sleep
 Social support
 Stick with treatments
(medication, therapy, etc.)

9. Local Resources
The International OCD Foundation
 Provides support and treatment for those who are mentally ill
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation of W. PA
 A nonprofit organization that provides support those who have
OCD or are affected by it. Helps find treatment and educates
public.
Phila. Affiliate of the National OCD Foundation
 Nonprofit organization that increases awareness of the disorder.
Offers support groups.

10. Sources
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Mental_Health_Information/OCD/ocd_recovery.html#re
Psych textbook
http://catatonickid.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/satire-sunday-ocd-checklist/
http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/medtees-ocd.jpg
http://ocdphiladelphia.org/
http://www.ocfwpa.org/
http://www.fotolog.com/degito/54328034
The Lobotomist
Girl, Interrupted
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ocd/treatment.asp
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/tricyclicantidepressants_000069.htm
http://www.brainphysics.com/surgery.php
http://www.ocfoundation.org