Can I Treat OCD Naturally…Part 2: Types and Causes
Last week, we discussed the definition and incidence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This week, we discuss the types and causes of OCD. Symptoms can be subdivided in two groups, obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions and compulsions interact since compulsive behavior is a way to counteract the anxiety caused by the obsession. The International OCD Foundation explains that compulsions are different from ordinary habits or rituals in a few key ways:
- They feel very out of control and are not always done “by choice”.
- The person may recognize that their thoughts or behaviors are irrational but keep doing them anyway.
- Usually, the person spends at least one hour per day on compulsive behaviors.
- While having a routine can be productive, enjoyable and beneficial, compulsions usually don’t bring any source of pleasure. They lower anxiety temporarily, but long-term contribute to reoccurring fears and obsessions.
Some researchers categorize people into different subgroups based on their recurring compulsions:
- Washers: fear contamination, germs and becoming dirty or sick
- Hoarders: find it very hard to discard things, throw things out, or pass on unnecessary items
- Doubters: fear being wrong, rejected, blamed or ridiculed by others
- Checkers: fear being harmed from perceived dangers, such as from fires, robbers, animals, etc.
- Counters: tend to fixate on numbers and need to count things continually
- Arrangers: fixate on order, patterns, symmetry and balance
Like other psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder is believed to be caused by a combination of factors related to both “nature and nurturing.” In other words, a person with OCD likely has some degree of a genetic predisposition to abnormal thinking patterns and brain structure, but their disorder is also likely being triggered by their upbringing and environment. Although the exact cause of OCD is not agreed upon, most researchers believe that a chemical/hormonal imbalance in the brain plays a part in the development of OCD. It’s generally accepted that OCD is caused by a combination of genetics, abnormal brain structure/functioning, and life experiences/environment:
- Genetics: OCD seems to run in families. Although having a relative with OCD doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop the disorder itself, many family studies have shown that people with first-degree relatives (such as a parent, sibling or child) have a higher risk for developing OCD than those without a family history.
- Brain Structure and Functioning: Researchers explain that using MRI brain scans in new ways to measure how different parts of the brain are functionally connected to one another have revealed patterns of abnormality in the OCD brain. Some researchers speculate that a combination of inflammation within the brain, and anxiety-provoking experiences at a young age, contribute to abnormal brain processing that leads to OCD. Therapeutic techniques that interrupt fear-based thoughts, shed light on compulsions and reduce anxiety help to restore the normal brain circuit described above and, therefore, lower the need for compulsions. Rarely, another factor that also influences brain functioning/structure is a history of infections, especially during childhood.
- Experiences/Environment: People who have a history of trauma and difficult childhood experiences (like divorce, abuse, neglect or family deaths) are at an increased risk for developing OCD compared to those who don’t. These events seem to alter brain patterns and can even shape the physical structure of the brain thanks to “neuroplasticity,” which means reoccurring thoughts wind up forming physical brain changes that make these thoughts more likely to happen again in the future.
Next week, we will discuss natural options to treat OCD. “See” you next week!
