Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Photo By: Lars Klintwall Malmqvist/CreativeCommons

 You're standing in a typical public restroom. Your nostrils inhale the usual stench of wet urinal cakes and generic hand soap. You approach the sink, and begin to wash. You pump the soap dispenser as if it were a life support system. You clean every finger, every knuckle,every nail. Like an overused napkin, your hands begin to prune. You turn off the sink. You look at your hands. They are clean. You know this. After all, you just cleaned them. Better clean them again, you think. Your turn on the sink faucet. The process begins again.

Washing hands, locking doors, combing hair. These ordinarily normal functions become addictive habits in people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Throw away any ideas of its cliched use whenever your new roommate describes how tidy her room is. Obsessive Compulsive disorder is exactly that: an inescapably obsessive condition.

New research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation could help people understand what gives rise to OCD in individuals. New fiber-optic light technology is now being used to help identify the mechanisms that trigger the onset of OCD. In the research, scientists discovered that repeated stimulation of neural links in the brain produce repetitive behavior that - over time - is difficult to stop.

Until more research and treatment options are made available, those living with the torture of OCD might just want to use their own bathroom at home.

Posted By: Torey Darin