OCD

Family Studies Mr. Schofield

April 23, 2014Lesson 8

Today’s Pathway

• Check-In and Attendance

• Questionnaires …

• Reminder about Unit End project details

• What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

• What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

• Example of Relationship Between These

• Potential work time on Unit Project

• Next Class: Social Anxiety Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Definition

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: “unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). It's also possible to have only obsessions or only compulsions and still have OCD.”

Description

• People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) feel the need to check things repeatedly, or have certain thoughts or perform routines and rituals over and over.

• The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.

• The frequent upsetting thoughts are called obsessions. To try to control them, a person will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions.

• People with OCD can't control these obsessions and compulsions. Most of the time, the rituals end up controlling them.

• People with OCD may also be preoccupied with order and symmetry, have difficulty throwing things out (so they accumulate), or hoard unneeded items.

Who Is At Risk?

• For many people, OCD starts during childhood or the teen years. Most people are diagnosed by about age 19.

• Symptoms of OCD may come and go and be better or worse at different times.

• OCD affects about 2.2 million American adults. It strikes men and women in roughly equal numbers and usually appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

• One-third of adults with OCD develop symptoms as children, and research indicates that OCD might run in families.

Symptoms

• Have repeated thoughts or images about many different things, such as fear of germs, dirt, or intruders; acts of violence; hurting loved ones; sexual acts; conflicts with religious beliefs; or being overly tidy.

• Do the same rituals over and over such as washing hands, locking and unlocking doors, counting, keeping unneeded items, or repeating the same steps again and again.

• Can't control the unwanted thoughts and behaviors.

• Don't get pleasure when performing the behaviors or rituals, but get brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause.

• Spend at least 1 hour a day on the thoughts and rituals, which cause distress and get in the way of daily life.

Causes

• Genetic

• Brain chemistry

• Stress

• Environmental factors

• Other …

Treatment

• Psychotherapy• Cognitive behaviour therapy

• Medication• Anti-anxiety• Antidepressants

Tips

• Facing fears (Exposure and Response Prevention)

• Challenging unhelpful interpretations of obsessions

• Managing your stress

• Getting back into your life

• Facing your fears

OCD Example

What is CBT?

CBT Explained

• As the name suggests, CBT focuses on the way people think ("cognitive") and act ("behavioural").

• The concept behind CBT is that our thoughts about a situation affect how we feel (emotionally and physically) and how we behave in that situation.

• As human beings, we give meaning to events that are happening around us. However, we often don’t realize that two people can give two very different meanings to the same event.

CBT

• Research has shown that CBT is an effective treatment for a wide range of problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, chronic pain, disordered eating, low self-esteem, anger problems, addiction).

• In particular, CBT has been shown to be effective in the management of anxiety and depression, and is as (if not more) effective as treatment with medication alone.

• Research also shows that people experiencing anxiety and depression are less likely to relapse when treated with CBT: They tend to get better and stay better!

CBT

CBT Scenario

ERP Therapy

• Exposure Response Prevention

• The "exposure" part of this treatment involves direct or imagined controlled exposure to objects or situations that trigger obsessions that arouse anxiety. Over time, exposure to obsessional cues leads to less and less anxiety.

• In ERP treatment, patients learn to resist the compulsion to perform rituals and are eventually able to stop engaging in these behaviours.

Unit End Project

• Fill-out the following on the form:• Topic (anything related to anxiety)• Project type (video, essay, pamphlet,

poster, etc.)• Partner name (if working with someone)

• Due Date: April 29th

• Presentation Date: April 29th

• Form is Due: Yesterday

Closing

• Questions?

• Next Class: Social Anxiety Disorder

Contacting Mr. Schofield

• iTime – Rm. A 215 or A 130

• Email – schofield.killarney@gmail.com

• Mailbox – in office

• Blog – blogs.ubc.ca/practicum