Psychiatric Condition



Psychiatric Condition

Introduction

The medical condition of a person has implications on the psychological and social life of the person. These are essential to be understood by the people around the person as well as the people involved in the healthcare delivery system, and make an important part of understanding the medical condition of the person. There are certain diseases which can have a significant impact on the functional capability of the affected person.

The medical condition that has been chosen for this paper is an anxiety disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder commonly known as OCD.

The disease

People suffering from OCD are obsessed with something to an extent that they go back to checking it out of compulsion and habit. This takes place so many times that it becomes a hurdle in the daily routine of the person. For instance, a person may repeatedly wash his hands even when they are absolutely clean (APA, 2012). This hand washing multiple numbers of times turns into a ritual and is certainly not normal. Most of these obsessions are irrational. This is so because the person is aware that his behavior is not normal but he is powerless to exert any degree of control over his thoughts and consequent actions. The brain gets stick on the one thought. Unless the person addresses the obsession and the compulsive action that it requires, he is unable to do anything else. Hence, their routine comes to a halt.

Psycho-social dimensions

In order to understand the psycho social implications of obsessive compulsive disorder, it is vital to discuss the Symptoms of OCD. The symptoms are divided into two major categories. These are obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. A patient can have symptoms that fall in either one category or both. Obsessive thoughts may be sexually exclusive. These include superstitions ...