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What is OCD?
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Psychopathology – OCD
In this course, Dr Emma Sharpe (University of Derby) explores obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterised by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. In the first lecture, we think about how OCD can be defined and diagnosed. In the second lecture, we explore the behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of the condition. In the third lecture, we examine the biological causes of OCD, looking in particular at genetic and neural explanations. Next, we think about how OCD can be treated, looking specifically at drug treatments. In the fifth lecture, we look at some key psychological treatments. In the sixth and final module, we conclude on some of the key points of discussion from the course.
What is OCD?
In this lecture, we think about OCD as a mental health disorder, focusing in particular on: (i) it being characterised by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours; (ii) how OCD can be defined; (iii) the prevalence and symptoms of the condition; (iv) its official categorisation in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Hello.
00:00:06My name is Dr Emma Sharp, and I'm a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby.
00:00:06So this course we'll be talking about obsessive compulsive disorder,
00:00:11So obsessive compulsive disorder, or O.
00:00:14D,
00:00:17is a mental health disorder in which a person
00:00:17experiences unwanted or intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
00:00:20So the important thing to end precise here is the OECD is
00:00:25not as simple as someone liking things really neat or tidy.
00:00:29But the compulsions and obsessions become so severe that
00:00:32it can actually interfere with a person's life,
00:00:36and it can mean that they are unable to concentrate at school or even hold down a job.
00:00:39The interesting thing about OCD
00:00:43is that it can affect men, women and Children equally.
00:00:45Um, OECD can develop during puberty,
00:00:49but it typically develops during early adulthood,
00:00:53and it's characterised by two main features.
00:00:55Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
00:00:58Obsessive thoughts are unwanted images, urges or intrusions that can
00:01:01repeatedly come into the individual's mind in course,
00:01:07severe anxiety and distress.
00:01:10So the obsession is cognitive in nature, so it affects the way a person thinks,
00:01:12whereas the compulsion is the behaviour that the individual feels compelled
00:01:17to perform as a result in order to reduce this anxiety,
00:01:21so the compulsion is a behaviour.
00:01:24Most people with OCD have both obsessions and behaviours,
00:01:27but it is possible to have just one or the other in order to get a diagnosis.
00:01:32However, the obsessions and compulsions are typically linked.
00:01:36So, for example,
00:01:40if an individual has an obsessive thought that the house is going to get burgled,
00:01:41the compulsive behaviour is normally associated with that.
00:01:45So, for example,
00:01:47they may engage in checking locks and windows
00:01:48in order to prevent an intruder coming in.
00:01:52As it stands in the current GSM, 50. C. D.
00:01:55Is categorised within its own category of obsessions,
00:01:59compulsions and related disorders alongside a number of
00:02:02other similar disorders which share very similar characteristics,
00:02:06including trichotillomania,
00:02:10which is characterised by excessive hair pulling excoriation disorder,
00:02:11which is picking up the skin
00:02:15and finally hoarding disorder,
00:02:17which is a compulsive need to hold onto items that may have
00:02:19no kind of significant value and being unable to part with them.
00:02:23And all of these disorders are really similar and can be treated in a very similar way
00:02:28
Cite this Lecture
APA style
Sharpe, E. (2019, November 07). Psychopathology – OCD - What is OCD? [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/courses/ocd/what-is-ocd
MLA style
Sharpe, E. "Psychopathology – OCD – What is OCD?." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 07 Nov 2019, https://massolit.io/courses/ocd/what-is-ocd