Why OCD?
I chose to analyze OCD because I am personally affected by it on a daily basis. It is difficult being a pre-med student because I understand the biological basis behind the disease and I understand that following through on the rituals “seems crazy”. It is hard to explain OCD to people that do not have it because they do not understand how upsetting it is when you count the letters in a word and it turns out to be an even number. There is no “center”, no “order”. Everything has to be perfect: if not, something terrible will happen. If you check you car four times to make sure it is locked, you must check a fifth. Four is an even number; you cannot have that of course. Maybe when you checked times one, two, and three you accidently unlocked it. All situations turn into the worst possible scenario. You are driving down the street and run over a branch---or was it a person? You better drive back to double check---and triple check---and quadruple check. In the end, you know all this is craziness but you can’t stop. Your mind is constantly telling you that if you to not count the bricks as you walk into a store, you will most likely die. Clinical Definition
OCD is a chronic disease characterized by anxiety and can ultimately interfere with a patient’s family or work. Patients have an over whelming feeling that something terrible will happen if they do not carry out a certain ritual. They tend to feel “incomplete” if they are not able to follow through with the ritual and cannot focus until allowed to do so. Certain rituals might include things such as checking to see if the stove is off, counting numbers, constant apologizing and a fear of dirt or germs (WebMD, 2005) |
This picture adequately describes my personal type of OCD. Odd numbers of things are the best because they provide a "center" and a sense of order to things that would otherwise be seen as random (SodaHead 2010).
As stated, OCD usually is seen alongside many other disorders which greatly affect a patients family or work life (CNS Spectrums 2007).
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Non-Medical Factors
It is very important to consider non-medical factors when it comes to researching a disease. OCD is usually classified as an anxiety disorder. A person’s anxiety level can have a lot to do with their upbringing, environment and culture. For example, many times I have heard while traveling to other countries that Americans always seem “stressed out” or act like they “have to catch a train”. Other cultures seem much more laid back---if things don’t go as planned, they just move on to plan B. How a society perceives situations is also important when studying diseased such as OCD. There is a stigmatism about mental illnesses in comparison to “physical illnesses”. Some people feel that because the source of the problem is in the brain with OCD that the patient should have more control over the problem. As a matter of fact the person can’t just sit down and say, “today I will rid myself of OCD”. This would work about just as effectively as sitting down and saying “today I will rid myself of cancer”. Medical intervention is needed.
An Anthropologist's View
This is where an anthropologist would come in. An anthropologist could study the dialog and language between patients. By using the correct terms, a patient is more likely to agree to get help. An anthropologist could direct the doctor on how to communicate with the patient for saying “you’re mentally ill because you count letters” is likely to offend said patient. As previously stated, culture and the environment play a huge role in OCD. An anthropologist could research the aspects of the disease that stem from the environment itself. People with OCD are afraid of failure or doing wrong in general. Can this be related to the society we live in? Has America conditioned us to see failure as unacceptable? Could this increase the anxiety levels of some people? There also comes a sociocultural aspect to OCD. Once a patient is diagnosed, how will they receive adequate care? Services provided by psychiatric doctors are very expensive as well as any medications that are prescribed. Anthropologists look into how patients obtain access to receive the care that is necessary. Lastly, anthropologists can study the archeology of the disease. How far can OCD be traced back? Are certain races or ethnicities of people more likely to be affected by OCD than others? All of these concerns do not fall under a doctor’s job description. Anthropologists help to unravel the broader aspects of disease so it can be treated more efficiently and effectively. This leads to better patient relationships and progress in eliminating the disease.
Bibliography
“Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Symptoms.” webmd.com. Last modified June 05, 2005. http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-symptoms.
"OCD in Threes." SodaHead. Last modified on February 4, 2010. http://www.sodahead.com/living/what-do-you-really-know-about-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-and-how-it-affects-people-who-suff/question-854355/?link=ibaf&q=&esrc=s
"OCD Comorbidity Rates." CNS Spectrums. Last modified in
It is very important to consider non-medical factors when it comes to researching a disease. OCD is usually classified as an anxiety disorder. A person’s anxiety level can have a lot to do with their upbringing, environment and culture. For example, many times I have heard while traveling to other countries that Americans always seem “stressed out” or act like they “have to catch a train”. Other cultures seem much more laid back---if things don’t go as planned, they just move on to plan B. How a society perceives situations is also important when studying diseased such as OCD. There is a stigmatism about mental illnesses in comparison to “physical illnesses”. Some people feel that because the source of the problem is in the brain with OCD that the patient should have more control over the problem. As a matter of fact the person can’t just sit down and say, “today I will rid myself of OCD”. This would work about just as effectively as sitting down and saying “today I will rid myself of cancer”. Medical intervention is needed.
An Anthropologist's View
This is where an anthropologist would come in. An anthropologist could study the dialog and language between patients. By using the correct terms, a patient is more likely to agree to get help. An anthropologist could direct the doctor on how to communicate with the patient for saying “you’re mentally ill because you count letters” is likely to offend said patient. As previously stated, culture and the environment play a huge role in OCD. An anthropologist could research the aspects of the disease that stem from the environment itself. People with OCD are afraid of failure or doing wrong in general. Can this be related to the society we live in? Has America conditioned us to see failure as unacceptable? Could this increase the anxiety levels of some people? There also comes a sociocultural aspect to OCD. Once a patient is diagnosed, how will they receive adequate care? Services provided by psychiatric doctors are very expensive as well as any medications that are prescribed. Anthropologists look into how patients obtain access to receive the care that is necessary. Lastly, anthropologists can study the archeology of the disease. How far can OCD be traced back? Are certain races or ethnicities of people more likely to be affected by OCD than others? All of these concerns do not fall under a doctor’s job description. Anthropologists help to unravel the broader aspects of disease so it can be treated more efficiently and effectively. This leads to better patient relationships and progress in eliminating the disease.
Bibliography
“Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Symptoms.” webmd.com. Last modified June 05, 2005. http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-symptoms.
"OCD in Threes." SodaHead. Last modified on February 4, 2010. http://www.sodahead.com/living/what-do-you-really-know-about-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-and-how-it-affects-people-who-suff/question-854355/?link=ibaf&q=&esrc=s
"OCD Comorbidity Rates." CNS Spectrums. Last modified in