Download Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
4.1.4 Psychopathology
The behavioural, emotional and cognitive
characteristics of OCD
OCD…what is it?
Stuck in Doorway –make a note of behaviours that could be experienced as well as
thoughts that a sufferer may have
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KOami82xKec
• Obsession:
a persistent thought, idea, impulse or image that
experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive and causes anxiety
• Compulsion:
a repetitive and rigid behaviour or mental act that a person
feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce
anxiety
DSM-5 categories of OCD
The DSM recognises OCD and a range of related
disorders.
• OCD – characterised by obsessions and/or
compulsions
• TRICHOTILLOMANIA - compulsive hair pulling.
• HOARDING DISORDER – the compulsive gathering of
possessions and the inability to part with anything
regardless of its value
• EXCORIATION DISORDER - compulsive skin picking.
• What these have in common is repetitive behaviour
accompanied by obsessive thinking.
DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder –
this is a classification system.
The DSM describes the main symptoms of
obsessive compulsive disorder as:
 recurrent obsessions and compulsions
 recognition by the individual that the obsessions and
compulsions are excessive and/or unreasonable
 that the person is distressed or impaired, and daily life
is disrupted by the obsessions and compulsions
Signs and symptoms of an OCD sufferer
• Behavioural: how a person acts (behaves) which
typically leads to the carrying out of repetitive
actions to reduce anxiety.
• This often leads to avoidance of situations that trigger
anxiety.
• Emotional: how a person feels when
experiencing the anxiety which accompanies the
obsessions/compulsions.
• OCD may feel depressed and/or other negative
emotions
• Cognitive: how a person thinks and OCD
sufferers are usually plagued with obsessive
thoughts. They also tend to develop cognitive
strategies
There are
obviously
physical
symptoms also
The OCD cycle
The diagram below shows how obsessions and
compulsions are connected
in an OCD cycle.
‘Apply it’
Jaz
1. Read the example on handout
2. Identify the behavioural, emotional and
cognitive aspects
3. can you put this into the cycle?
Jaz
• Jaz's behavioural symptoms include
washing her hands, cleaning her
house and making visitors shower.
• Her emotional symptom is anxiety,
with brief relief resulting from her
compulsive behaviour.
• Her cognitive symptoms include
recurring thoughts of disease and
images of dirt.
• She has good insight that her
anxiety and behaviour is irrational.
The characteristics of OCD
Emotional
How do you
FEEL when
you
experience
your
obsessive
thought?
Behavioural
How do you
BEHAVE
when you
experience
your
obsessive
thought?
Cognitive
What do you
THINK that
makes you
want to carry
out a
repetitive
action?
Some facts…
• About 1 in every 50 people suffer from OCD at some point
in their lives
• It is equally common in males and females.
• In the UK, OCD is the fourth most common psychological
disorder.
• It has a typical onset from late adolescence to early
adulthood.
• Many people who have this disorder do not seek help and in
fact learn to hide their condition
• For many sufferers, however their lives are so taken up with
rituals that they are unable to function adequately or hold
down a regular job.
TASKS / HOMEWORK:
• Ensure pgs. 12-20 are complete in your pack
• Read the case studies on pg. 10 and identify and
justify 2 definitions of abnormality that could be
applied to them
• Ensure pg. 11 is complete as well
• On the Blog is the homework for this weekend…
please hand in Lesson 1 of next week
Pre reading: Behavioural explanation of Phobias
Exam Questions
1. Outline the emotional
characteristics of OCD.
(3 marks)
2. Outline the behavioural
characteristics of OCD
(3 marks)
3. Outline the cognitive
characteristics of OCD.
(3 marks)