How to Know Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Causes

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects one in fifty adults worldwide. One of the most insidious of the anxiety disorders, OCD can have a profoundly negative impact on a person's life, interfering with work, school and other daily activities. OCD is characterized by the frequent intrusion of unwanted thoughts and accompanying rituals performed to alleviate the anxiety these thoughts produce. Though multi-faceted, OCD can be successfully treated in most cases. Knowing the causes of OCD can help a patient come to grips with his condition.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Know the Causes of OCD

1. Look into your family history. It is thought that genetics might play a role in the development of OCD. The condition appears to run in some families. If you have close relatives with OCD, your chances for developing it could be slightly higher than someone with no family history of the condition.
2. Examine the possibilities of brain abnormalities. Studies have shown that the brains of those affected by OCD often have brain-wave patterns that differ from people without the condition. These atypical brain waves might be caused by the irregular firing of synapses in certain parts of the brain.
3. Consider your serotonin levels. People with OCD often have lower levels of this mood-modifying brain chemical than those who do not have the disorder. OCD patients may also have difficulty utilizing the serotonin they do have. Low levels of serotonin can lead to a variety of unpleasant neuroses.
4. Think back on your medical history. Studies have indicated that children who are exposed to the strep bacteria sometimes develop autoimmune reactions in their brains that can cause symptoms of OCD. However, at this time, the strep connection is only apparent in children with OCD.
5. Take stock of the foods you eat. A growing number of alternative-medicine adherents believe that hidden food allergies can cause symptoms of OCD to appear. If you suspect that a certain food causes you distress, try eliminating it from your diet for two weeks and see how you feel.

Tips & Warnings

• Scientists do not know exactly what causes obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ongoing research has revealed a number of clues regarding possible causes, but nothing has yet proven to be definitive. It is likely that obsessive-compulsive disorder has different causes in different people.
• If you want to know whether your brain waves are abnormal or your levels of serotonin are low, ask your family doctor for a referral to a specialist who can run the appropriate tests on you.