Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms and Treatment

Case Study 1 

Introduction 

Bess is suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is manifested by Bess recurrent obsession with cleanliness. Despite being an attractive 27-year old upper-middle-class woman, Bess has few friends, spends most of her time by herself, and lives a rather dull life. Her obsession with cleanliness is one that adopts an established sequence of undressing and dressing that is compulsive in the particular manner it is performed. Bess also developed an obsessiveness with a variety of rituals and thoughts related to “contamination” within public spaces. 

Obsession 

Obsession is defined as a process of unwanted thought that is persistent and recurrent, which usually instigates an urge or a mental image that is generally beyond a person’s ability to control it. In most cases, an obsession is destructive enough to interfere with one’s daily life, usually causing significant distress and anxiety. Bess is an upper-middle-class woman, who seems to be doing well but is not; by normal standards she is expected to be doing well and enjoying her life. Contrary to that, Bess has been struggling with sexual desires and fantasies since she was a child. Despite trying to control these fantasies by engaging herself with crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, Bess does not seem to have the self-control to do so. The potency of her obsession with erotic fantasies led her to engage in masturbation which was later replaced with cleanliness, usually set off by touching her genital or anal area. Her cleansing ritual often adopted an established sequence, which if interrupted or altered resulted in her repeating the whole process over. This obsessiveness by Bess is driven by the desire to cleanse herself coupled by the urge to repeat the entire sequence of dressing, which is usually distractive to an extent of it affecting her outlook on sex, the toilet, and contamination that happen in public spaces. 

Compulsion 

Compulsion refers to a repetitive behavior or mental act that one feels compelled to do or perform. Compulsiveness is usually driven by obsessive thoughts that continue to inhabit one’s mind, interfering with one’s typical sequence of thought. Some form of compulsive thinking causes significant distress while others do not. However, this compulsiveness either leads to cleaning or checking rituals, which become focal points in their lives; always taking a lot of their time. Bess shows compulsiveness in her cleaning ritual that involves taking off her clothing in an established sequence, then examining for any sign of contamination. Her cleaning sequence guides her process of thought and is usually repeated four to five times, always cleaning herself over and over again. The compulsiveness of her thoughts has affected her outlook of public places and the contamination that may happen within these spaces. Compulsive behavior results in ritual behavior that is driven by an obsession in cleaning out contaminations despite how small it may be, most times for hours on end until one is satisfied. Obsession and compulsiveness are synonymous of each other, and ritualistic behavior helps relieve the anxiety but usually find it hard to stop the obsessive concerns and behavior. 

Ritualistic 

Obsession and compulsions usually lead to a desire to perform a particular action repeatedly to attain specific results. The compulsiveness of the thoughts that inhabit their minds usually leads them to be obsessed with performing one act ritualistically. This is well seen in Bess and the manner she is obsessed with cleanliness, which involves her undressing in a reestablished sequence, laying out each article of clothing at specific spots on the bed, and examining for signs of contamination. She then scrubs herself from feet to the top of her head, using specific washcloths for certain areas and then dressing back in the reverse order she took them off. If this order of doing things is disrupted, then Bess repeats it until she gets it right. She usually does this ritual every day as a means of combating her obsessive thoughts. The ritualistic behavior accompanies obsessive thinking as a means of trying to address the dreaded concern, which in Bess situation was that of avoiding contamination. It is crucial to note that ritualistic behavior usually pertains more than what may typically be considered reasonable in taking a precaution. The compulsiveness of their thought leads the individual into being trapped into a vicious pattern of intrusive and very worrisome thought usually leading to ritualistic behavior, as evidenced by Bess. 

Conclusion 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) entails an obsession that usually leads to compulsive ritualistic behavior that is time-consuming often causing distress that results in the interference of one’s normal activities. Bess depicts all signs of OCD in her thoughts and the ritualistic routine she has adopted every day, coupled with the sexual desire that compel her to touch her genital and anal areas. Obsessiveness, compulsiveness, and ritualistic behavior characterize OCD in the manner a person behaves and the way their stream of thought is interfered to behave normally. The irrationality of persons suffering from OCD reveals the compulsiveness and obsession that comes with the development of ritualistic behavior that characterizes like Bess’ condition. Bess obsessive thoughts have grown beyond her ritual routine and into the toilet, sexual issues and contamination in public places, which captures the obsessive and compulsiveness aspect of OCD. Bess case emphasizes the tormenting aspect of OCD and the compulsive thoughts that inhabit the mind of a person with OCD, which affects how they behave. 

Reference  

Nevid, J. S., Rathus, S. A., Greene, B. (2014). Abnormal Psychology: In A Changing World . San Francisco: Pearson Publishing.