Today we talk with Robin Perry Braun about obsessive compulsive disorders.Here are some questions Robin provides:

1.  Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both:

Obsessions 1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or impulses that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress.2.The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).Compulsions are 1. Repetitive behaviors

• (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. Hoarding, eating, gambling, video games, smart phones,cleaning
• The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.

1. The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Causes:

• Brain chemistry – serotonin balance related
• Not processing emotions – dysregulation or inability to feel or process emotions.
• This is an anxiety disorder – therapy, nutrition and supplements can help alleviate symptoms.