By Anonymous, Mon, April 18, 2011
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental condition that can impair the day-to-day lives of people suffering from it. Thanks to superficial, pop culture depictions of people afflicted with OCD, a certain perception regarding the disorder has become generally accepted. People now have faint ideas about what obsessions and rituals are, and how they can negatively impact people’s lives.
And while the extra exposure has gone a long way toward bringing this disorder to the forefront of public concern, it’s also inadvertently caused people to believe that OCD is a cut-and-dry, no-variation-in-symptoms type condition. In reality, OCD can come in a number of packages, at different times, and cause completely different symptoms, as well as ultimately impact people’s lives in very different ways.
In general, there are two very specific periods when OCD symptoms may begin to occur. Some people notice their OCD-like symptoms kick in before puberty. This group’s condition is often referred to as early onset OCD. On the flip side, people who develop their OCD later on in life are recognized as having late-onset OCD.
Further, OCD, according to a number of researchers, can also be separated into difference sub-types based on the symptoms experienced. The larger and more well-known subtypes are: pathological or compulsive hoarding, post-birth OCD, and children’s OCD.
Naturally, these somewhat self-explanatory forms of the disorder carry specific symptoms and conditions that relate specifically to their particular characteristics – and not to the other sub-types. Similarly, the treatment options for the various subtypes of OCD are case-specific, depending on the severity of the symptoms, the period of time when it sets in, and a number of other very important factors.
Above all else, it’s important to remember that while OCD generally gets lumped into the “mental health disorder” group without much regards to the specifics, it’s a very complex condition that deserves a lot of research and attention.
Hopefully, as a result of increased research and attention, progress can be made towards getting the right kind of treatment for the people who suffer from it on a daily basis.
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