Download Psi Chi/ PSA - Michigan State University

Psi Chi/ PSA
October 21, 2009
Emails
 No one should have gotten one yet.
Uncle John’s Cider Mill
 Sunday October 25th
 1:00 pm in the
Psychology Lot
 1:30 at the cider mill
 See Psi Chi website
for directions
 Sign up tonight
Michigan State Psychology
268-356 Psychology Bldg, East Lansing, MI
48824
Turn left at E Grand River Ave/MI-43 W
About 5 mins
go 2.0 mi
total 2.3 mi
Turn right to merge onto US-127 N toward Flint
Clare
Destination will be on the right
About 26 mins
go 27.3 mi
total 29.6 mi
8614 U.S. 127, Saint Johns, MI 48879
Coffee Crawl
 Thursday November
12th
 7:30 pm
 T-shirts
Origami Volunteering Info
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3
Time: 7PM
What: Bonfire and S’mores with
the residents!
Fill in the sign-up sheet if you are
interested! This will be a lot of fun
and will look great on a resume!
O.C.D.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnR1T
lTEldE
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PlGB
9QlhWs&feature=related
1. What is OCD?
 OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is a disorder
which causes an individual to have intrusive thoughts of a
frightening or disturbing nature, which in turn may cause the
person to do things repeatedly. They might perform certain rituals
to guard against danger, or clean one's self or personal areas of
home or work again and again.
 ob·ses·sion n. 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or
an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms
of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.
 com·pul·sion n. 1. a. The act of compelling. b. The state of being
compelled. 2. a. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the
rationality of the motivation. b. An act or acts performed in
response to such an impulse.
2. How common is OCD in
the U.S.?
 Although once thought to be rare, OCD
afflicts as many as five million
Americans, or one in fifty. The disorder
is found uniformly among men, women,
children, and people of all races and
socio-economic backgrounds
3. What are some of the
symptoms of OCD?





Symptoms and behaviors associated with
OCD are wide and varied. The primary
thing they have in common is they are
generally unwanted behaviors and/or
thoughts that occur very frequently — i.e.,
several times a day. Symptoms, if
untreated, may progress to the point of
taking up all of a sufferer's waking hours.
Checking things repeatedly, such as doors,
locks, stoves, etc.
Constant counting, "in one's head" or
outwardly, while performing routine tasks.
"Having" to do things a certain number of
times. An example of this would be: when
taking a shower, "having" to wash the left
foot three times.
Obsessively arranging things in an
extremely orderly fashion -- which often
makes no sense to anyone save the OCD
sufferer.





Pictures, words or images that "pop" into
head and won't go away -- usually of a
disturbing nature.
Nonsensical words or phrases repeating
themselves in the person's mind.
The "what if's".....
Hoarding of objects with usually no
apparent value -- as in one man collected
small pieces of lint from the dryer. The
person usually saves such objects under
the rationalization of "what if I need it/them
someday?" or is just unable to decide what
to discard.
Excessive fear of contamination -- as in
fears to touch normal everyday things
because they might have germs.
4. True or False: All people
with OCD are 'washers' or
'checkers'.
 False. OCD manifests itself in a large
variety of ways, and individuals usually
suffer from a combination of symptoms.
However, most people with OCD share
common difficulties in daily activities,
such as tardiness, perfectionism,
procrastination, indecision,
discouragement and family difficulties.
5. True or False: Someone who has any of the symptoms
or behaviors that characterize the disorder will be
diagnosed with OCD.
 False. Diagnosis depends upon the
degree in which the symptoms or
behaviors interfere with their thinking,
reasoning, and/or life functioning. If these
symptoms do not have a negative impact
on your daily life, you probably are not
suffering from OCD.
6. Why doesn't an individual
with OCD "just stop" their
behavior?
 Most truly wish they could. Probably the biggest reason why they
do not "just stop" is anxiety. The person with OCD suffers intense
anxiety over whatever their symptoms focus upon. They want to
"make sure" that whatever they are focusing upon is taken care of.
OCD is a disease of doubt, therefore the person with OCD feels
they can never be sure that whatever it is is really taken care of.
Often this will show in the form of a compulsion such as hand
washing. The person cannot, no matter how hard they try, feel that
their hands are really clean. There is always a "what if" such as
"what if I missed a teeny tiny little spot?" and so they continue to
wash — just in case. With a compulsion, the anxiety rises to
unbearable and terrifying levels if the compulsion is not allowed to
take place.
7. True or False: Everyone
suffering with OCD has
obsessions and compulsions.
 False. Though approximately 80 percent
of people with OCD have both identifiable
obsessions and compulsions, about 20
percent have only obsessions or
compulsions.
8. True or False: A person
suffering from OCD is crazy.
 False. A person who does not recognize
that their behaviors and thoughts are
abnormal is "psychotic." Most people with
OCD are aware that their behavior does
not make sense. People with OCD are
not crazy.
9. Is OCD psychological,
biological or both?
 OCD is usually considered to have both
psychological and biological components.
OCD-like behavior has been observed in
animals, including dogs, horses, and birds.
Specific brain abnormalities have been
identified that mediate the expression of OCD
symptoms. These brain abnormalities improve
with successful treatment by either medication
or behavioral therapy.
10. True or False: Stress
can affect OCD.
 True. It is typical to notice a worsening of
OCD symptoms during stressful periods.
Stress does not cause OCD, but a
stressful event (like the death of a loved
one, birth of a child, or divorce) can
actually trigger the onset of the disorder
or exacerbate it.
11. Is OCD acquired or are
people born with it?
 Persons are generally considered to
have been born with a predisposition for
OCD. This predisposition however does
not always manifest itself. Sometimes the
OCD is triggered by a traumatic or
stressful event, even an illness (strep
throat), but one must first have the
predisposition toward OCD to develop
the disorder.
12. True or False: OCD is a
curable disorder.
 False. However, symptoms are usually
controllable.
13. What is the prognosis
for OCD with treatment?
 Very good. Up to 80% of OCD sufferers
improve significantly with proper
treatment of behavioral therapy and
medication. Slips and relapses of thinking
or behavior may occur but if the person is
determined, these slips can usually be
caught and treated before blossoming
into a full blown OCD episode.
14. What are some of the
treatment methods for OCD?
 The two most effective treatments for
OCD are drug therapy and behavior
therapy. Generally, behavior therapy is
most effective, or the two can be used
together. Exposure and response
prevention is the most effective type of
behavior therapy for OCD.
Sources:
 The OC & Spectrum Disorders Assn., Susan
F., The OC Foundation, The Nat'l Institute of
Mental Health, Solvay Pharmaceutical's
Community Eduction Publications, Chris
Vertullo's OCD-L mailing list, and the Prodigy
medical support board. Expert Consultants: S
Saxena, MD and K Maidment, PhD.
<http://www.brainphysics.com/ocdfaq.php#wha
tis>