The primary goal of this paper is to evaluate a condition of a patient with the obsessive-compulsive disorder and try to understand what the patient experiences by analyzing his/her actions from the personal perspective. The obsessive-compulsive disorder is a rather common psychiatric illness, which has a tendency to occupy a significant time in the mind of the patient and provides a feeling that he/she is not in control of the situation (Adam par. 1). In this case, I have a feeling that I am not able to monitor my thoughts and feelings. It made me feel hopeless and scared at the same time, as I start panicking with constantly trying to find the answer whether I am HIV positive or trying to remember if I turned off the iron.
As for my thoughts, they are always occupied with the necessity of checking whether I closed the door or whether I am HIV positive. In this instance, I am not able to control them, as it requires the understanding of the problem existence. However, I cannot control my way of thinking, and my flow of thoughts and disorder takes control of the situation. I regularly start panicking and trying to evaluate all the options and determine whether I am HIV positive or not.
The primary symptoms of the disorder involve obsession, and the necessity to perform the particular rituals (Abramowitz, Taylor and McKay 491). However, the disorder can be represented as a combination of both features. In this instance, I have a well-established ritual of always checking whether I closed the door and turned off the electrical appliances such as iron. It has to check several times before I leave home.
Sometimes it takes a long time, as I highly question my ability to maintain the regular order of the routine processes in my life. Moreover, the anxiety sometimes involves a presence of particular thoughts (Bretecher par.1). It is evident that the obsessive-compulsive disorder has an adverse effect on my life, as I am not able to control the flow of my everyday activities. In this case, I constantly think whether I am HIV positive or not.
The disorder has a complex origin of development. The obsessive thoughts and anxiety occur due to increased activity in the brain parts such as cortex and caudate (Solomon and Grant 650). Nonetheless, the primary reason for the occurrence of the disorder cannot be identified, as it is dependent of the plethora of biological factors (Hudak 1). In this instance, in my case, I can assume that the origin of the disease has a psychological appearance. During my school years, I always experienced stress due to some personal reasons. Moreover, I was feared not to meet the expectations and do something wrong. In the end, my condition evolved and turned into obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It could be said that the other people understand it from the clinical perspective. However, they do not understand the primary determinants and drivers of the behavior of the individual, who is successful in life and happily married (Weg 4). It is evident that I lack understanding from the other people, as they have a tendency to think that I perform particular actions and rituals on purpose. It remains apparent that it is hard for them to understand that I am not able to control some of my thoughts and actions. Nonetheless, in my condition, my relatives and friends were able to adjust to my behavior. However, it is apparent that other people, who do not have a direct contact with me, do not understand my necessity to perform particular rituals.
In this instance, support and sufficient communications with the other members will assist in my recovery. It is evident that establishment of the trusting relationship will contribute to the cure of the disorder as the individual will be able to share his thoughts and ideas (Weg 4). It could be said that my family and friends started to assist me while I experienced the episodes of anxiety and lost control of the flow of my thoughts. Nonetheless, more support remains a necessity, as sometimes it is evident that I lack trust with the individuals and not able to express my thoughts coherently. Additionally, it is apparent that the intensification of the communications can be used as a supplement to the medical treatment only.
Lastly, it is evident that the others can help me as the medical treatment remains a necessity. In this instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the suitable solutions to the problem (Drubach 785). It is evident that this treatment will have a positive influence on my behavior and change my attitude towards my obsession. Another potential treatment is the consumption of “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” (Drubach 785). In this instance, this treatment will contribute to the positive fluctuations in my behavior and provide a high level of safety. Lastly, the brain modulation is also considered, as potential treatment (Drubach 785). However, my level of obsessive-compulsive disorder is not in the extreme condition, and electroconvulsive therapy is not necessary.
Works Cited
Abramowitz, Jonathan, Steven Taylor and Dean McKay. “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” The Lancet. 2009. Print.
Adam, David. “The Nightmare of Living with OCD.” The Guardian. 2013. Web.
Bretecher, Rose. “Pure OCD: A Rude Awakening.” The Guardian. 2013. Web.
Drubach, Daniel. “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology 21.3 (2015): 783-788. Print.
Hudak, Robert. “Introduction to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Clinical Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Adults and Children. Ed. Robert Hudak and Darin Dougherty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. 1-20. Print.
Solomon, Caren, and Jon Grant. “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” The New England Journal of Medicine 371.7 (2014): 646-653. Print.
Weg, Allen. OCD Treatment through Storytelling: A Strategy to Successful Therapy. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.