PSYCH 2AP3 Lecture Notes - Anxiety Disorder, Symbolic Link, Hand Washing
15 Jun 2013
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Obsessions: persistent disturbing or disruptive thoughts, impulses, images. Disruptive and disturbing and cannot be easily eliminated compulsions: compelled to engage in this behaviour over and over again very often in a ritualistic way. Anxiety is produced if you do not engage in these behaviours. Relatively small range of sorts of compulsions that we see in ocd, one of the classic ones is hand washing, organizing and ordering, checking and rechecking, counting, repeating words silently. 1% annual, 1. 5% lifetime prevalence in u. s. Usually starts in adolescence, early adulthood (can begin in childhood) for adult ocd, males = females, no imbalance between the sexes for childhood ocd, male:female ratio 3:1, very unusual in anxiety disorders. Symptom has symbolic link to underlying conflict typical way to deal with unconscious conflict is to transfer the conflict to something else that causes less anxiety. Conflict often localized to anal period due to concerns with order, cleanliness. Has not dominated the clinical approach to ocd.
