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Some of the causes identified for OCD include changes in the brain or natural chemistry.
Major stressors or traumatic events are also sometimes considered causes of this disorder. In some cases, these stressors act as triggers for the predisposed disorder. Depression is sometimes observed as a cause or result of OCD.
The psychodynamic perspective has been made responsible for the fixations and conflicts of early life to be the cause of this disorder.
According to this model, OCD is a result of the human body’s biological and evolutionary leaning to suppress primitive actions. A brain circuit in the orbitofrontal cortex fires, and send impulses to direct attention towards actions, and when the actions are completed, the impulse lowers downs its intensity.
The treatments of the disorder include medications which include anti-anxiety and antidepressants which are used to control the symptoms associated with the disorder.
This is an amalgam of two evidence-based therapies. We look at the cognitive and behavioral part of the disorder for the management. As in OCD thoughts are directly linked to behavioral consequences so by changing the thinking patterns we can find alternative means to respond to those thoughts.
This approach is a part of behavioral therapy which is actually about letting the person face the fear in a controlled environment and then refraining the client from performing the ritual. The logic behind this treatment is that the learned fear will disappear as the person realizes that no harm results by actually facing them and hence the anxiety disappears.
Deep breathing is diaphragmatic breathing that sends very strong relaxation signals to the brain which turns down the physiological arousal and stress level. This exercise reduces heart rate, lowers down blood pressure, and promotes a calm state. On the other hand mindfulness meditation is the practice of noticing thoughts without judging or pushing them away.