The condition often referred to as "OCD" (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a serious anxiety disorder that occurs in approximately 2% of all adults. An aspect that distinguishes it from many other mental health issues is how much it varies among the range of people suffering it. The actual symptoms for instance, can vary from an obsession with counting objects to experiencing frequently occurring thoughts of violence. When seeking a diagnosis, a registered doctor with experience treating Obsessive Compulsive patients can provide an accurate assessment. If this option isn't available though - there are effective online OCD tests that can serve to screen patients as the first step of the diagnosis process.
At home tests.There are going to be a lot of questions asked during an OCD test. Questions about concerns with germs will be there as will questions about keeping things in order. There will also be questions about thoughts that come to mind and regular worries that go on throughout the day. The test will move on to inquire about repetitive acts that are performed, how they make someone feel and if there is a chronic need to do them all the time. It's extremely important to answer all of these truthfully, as incorrect answers can change the results of the test.Doctor's office tests.When at the office of a physician, they will likely give patients a number of different tests. These will help the doctor come to the proper diagnosis so they can rule out other illnesses or disorders that could be a result of the symptoms as well. The physical exam will be much like a regular checkup. The physician will check blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight and listen to the lungs and heart to make sure they are functioning properly.
The first signs generally emerge in childhood, but it is not usually until the teenage years that people become self-aware of the problem. As children often have quite eccentric personalities generally, it is harder to identify those mild cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder amidst regular attention-seeking behaviour. If required, you should start formulating a plan for therapy with a medical professional afterwards if the results indicates a problem may exist.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is one useful technique for dealing with OCD, and is also generally a good first choice for most people as it doesn't require medicine and hence has much fewer risks associated with it. Medicine is also an important treatment technique for many people, but should never be considered for a first treatment option. Generally the kinds of medications that are prescribed for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are powerful anti-depressants and anti-psychotics that can be accompanied by fairly serious side-effects. This is where seeing a licensed mental-health therapist becomes crucial to the recovery process.
If you feel you are at risk of having OCD, or are showing troubling signs consistent with the symptoms, consult your local doctor or as a first step take an online OCD screening test.There are a lot of different symptoms of OCD that can help people identify whether or not they have it. Even if someone shows several symptoms they should see a doctor before they diagnose themselves. There are a lot of other mental disorders that are closely related to OCD and will show the same symptoms. Doctors will run a number of different tests in order to give the proper diagnosis. The symptoms are just one part of the diagnosing process, but they are looked at very closely.
There are two possible treatments for autism and OCD-like behaviors: behavioral therapy, and medication. Frequently, these two forms of therapy are prescribed together.The most common kind of medication prescribed for treating OCD behaviors in autistic individuals are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). SSRIs are antidepressant medications that have also shown to be helpful in reducing OCD behaviors. However, they can come with some serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Parents' whose children are on SSRIs should monitor behaviors closely and report anything out of the ordinary to a medical professional.
Obsessions are ideas or thoughts that come into the mind and will not go away. Generally these thoughts are unwanted ideas that most people would never act out on, like hurting a loved one. Most of these thoughts make absolutely no sense and will come at all times during the day and night.Some obsessions are fears, some are sexual and some are aggressive. Some of the most common obsessions include: fear of being touched, thoughts of being in a car accident, images of hurting a loved one, repeating pornographic images, hair pulling and skin lesions from picking at the skin. These have the ability to cause a lot of anxiety for people because they are so persistent and won't seem to go away.
Therefore, before a behavioral therapy is selected to deal with autism and OCD symptoms, an IQ test and/or functional cognitive level test will usually be administered. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) works well for lower functioning children or younger children, and Cognitive Behavioral therapy can show good results for higher functioning, more verbal children with autism.
Some common compulsions in children include: clearing the throat, twitching, rituals that have to be followed exactly, counting items, repeating things, washing hands, showering often and many more. Compulsions are not always as common as obsessions are. Just because a child is cleaning their room often and washing their hands doesn't necessarily mean they have OCD. Sometimes these symptoms will go away as a kid grows up; it all varies based on the individual.
Each person is different with the types of symptoms they have, but this can change as an individual grows older. Even if one symptom occurs during the adolescent years of a child, they could gain many others as they grow into a young adult. The severity of OCD will depend on the person, their experiences and where they live as well. Sometimes OCD can easily be controlled by someone when they know how to calm themselves, but it can easily become uncontrollable and a huge hazard to health.Family members should keep a close eye on loved ones that have OCD. There can be times when the severity of the symptoms rises and the individual ends up hurting themselves or someone else. In order to avoid this, treatment from a doctor should be sought after. Medication is an immediate treatment that can help balance out the serotonin inside the brain. This is often the best treatment option for sufferers because it calms them down and greatly reduces their levels of anxiety.
At home tests.There are going to be a lot of questions asked during an OCD test. Questions about concerns with germs will be there as will questions about keeping things in order. There will also be questions about thoughts that come to mind and regular worries that go on throughout the day. The test will move on to inquire about repetitive acts that are performed, how they make someone feel and if there is a chronic need to do them all the time. It's extremely important to answer all of these truthfully, as incorrect answers can change the results of the test.Doctor's office tests.When at the office of a physician, they will likely give patients a number of different tests. These will help the doctor come to the proper diagnosis so they can rule out other illnesses or disorders that could be a result of the symptoms as well. The physical exam will be much like a regular checkup. The physician will check blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight and listen to the lungs and heart to make sure they are functioning properly.
The first signs generally emerge in childhood, but it is not usually until the teenage years that people become self-aware of the problem. As children often have quite eccentric personalities generally, it is harder to identify those mild cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder amidst regular attention-seeking behaviour. If required, you should start formulating a plan for therapy with a medical professional afterwards if the results indicates a problem may exist.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is one useful technique for dealing with OCD, and is also generally a good first choice for most people as it doesn't require medicine and hence has much fewer risks associated with it. Medicine is also an important treatment technique for many people, but should never be considered for a first treatment option. Generally the kinds of medications that are prescribed for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are powerful anti-depressants and anti-psychotics that can be accompanied by fairly serious side-effects. This is where seeing a licensed mental-health therapist becomes crucial to the recovery process.
If you feel you are at risk of having OCD, or are showing troubling signs consistent with the symptoms, consult your local doctor or as a first step take an online OCD screening test.There are a lot of different symptoms of OCD that can help people identify whether or not they have it. Even if someone shows several symptoms they should see a doctor before they diagnose themselves. There are a lot of other mental disorders that are closely related to OCD and will show the same symptoms. Doctors will run a number of different tests in order to give the proper diagnosis. The symptoms are just one part of the diagnosing process, but they are looked at very closely.
There are two possible treatments for autism and OCD-like behaviors: behavioral therapy, and medication. Frequently, these two forms of therapy are prescribed together.The most common kind of medication prescribed for treating OCD behaviors in autistic individuals are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). SSRIs are antidepressant medications that have also shown to be helpful in reducing OCD behaviors. However, they can come with some serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Parents' whose children are on SSRIs should monitor behaviors closely and report anything out of the ordinary to a medical professional.
Obsessions are ideas or thoughts that come into the mind and will not go away. Generally these thoughts are unwanted ideas that most people would never act out on, like hurting a loved one. Most of these thoughts make absolutely no sense and will come at all times during the day and night.Some obsessions are fears, some are sexual and some are aggressive. Some of the most common obsessions include: fear of being touched, thoughts of being in a car accident, images of hurting a loved one, repeating pornographic images, hair pulling and skin lesions from picking at the skin. These have the ability to cause a lot of anxiety for people because they are so persistent and won't seem to go away.
Therefore, before a behavioral therapy is selected to deal with autism and OCD symptoms, an IQ test and/or functional cognitive level test will usually be administered. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) works well for lower functioning children or younger children, and Cognitive Behavioral therapy can show good results for higher functioning, more verbal children with autism.
Some common compulsions in children include: clearing the throat, twitching, rituals that have to be followed exactly, counting items, repeating things, washing hands, showering often and many more. Compulsions are not always as common as obsessions are. Just because a child is cleaning their room often and washing their hands doesn't necessarily mean they have OCD. Sometimes these symptoms will go away as a kid grows up; it all varies based on the individual.
Each person is different with the types of symptoms they have, but this can change as an individual grows older. Even if one symptom occurs during the adolescent years of a child, they could gain many others as they grow into a young adult. The severity of OCD will depend on the person, their experiences and where they live as well. Sometimes OCD can easily be controlled by someone when they know how to calm themselves, but it can easily become uncontrollable and a huge hazard to health.Family members should keep a close eye on loved ones that have OCD. There can be times when the severity of the symptoms rises and the individual ends up hurting themselves or someone else. In order to avoid this, treatment from a doctor should be sought after. Medication is an immediate treatment that can help balance out the serotonin inside the brain. This is often the best treatment option for sufferers because it calms them down and greatly reduces their levels of anxiety.