A Comprehensive Look at OCD: Effects, Causes, and Support in Australia

This essay provides an overview of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions. It discusses how OCD affects individuals, leading to anxiety, repetitive behaviors, and social isolation. The essay explores the potential causes of OCD, including dysfunctional beliefs, interpretations, and traumatic experiences. Furthermore, it outlines support options available in Australia, such as cognitive behavior therapy, peer support groups, and physical activities. The role of the Australian government in providing resources and promoting respectful treatment of individuals with OCD is also highlighted. The essay concludes by advising individuals with severe OCD symptoms to seek medical attention.

MENTAL HEALTH: OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
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How OCD affects people and why it happens
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder which is made up of two parts
which are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are so frightening and horrible such that
people are afraid of sharing them with others. They disrupt an individual from thinking about
other useful things which can be constructive in their life, and they make a person anxious1. On
the other hand, compulsions are repetitive activities that are person feels like doing all the time.
Compulsion causes actions like repeatedly feeling like checking if the door is closed2. People
suffering from this infection always think they are lazy and they try all they can to perform
specific behaviors which sometimes can be very harmful to their health. Isolation is another
effect of OCD in which a person isolates themselves from relationships. This is because they
spent a lot of their time performing compulsive behaviors makes them exhausted making it
challenging to interact with others and thus leading a boring loneliness life. OCD disorder
happens because of dysfunctional beliefs and interpretations. The disorder can also occur
because of personal experiences. People who had a painful childhood and suffered from trauma
are most likely to be affected by this disorder.
Support option for OCD in Australia
1 Mc lroy Susan atharine A hillips and r eck " bsessive compulsive spectrum disorder " heE , L., K . P , J PE K . O . T
ournal of clinical psychiatryJ 55 (1994): 33-51.
2 ediatric C D "Cognitive behavior therapy sertraline and their combination for children andP , O. . . - , ,
adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder the ediatric CD reatment Study S randomized- : P O T (POT )
controlled trial " ama no. J 292, . 16 (2004): 1969.

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The government of Australia has implemented some strategies and means which can be
used as a support option for OCD. The Australian government urges people to use materials such
as books and computer programs which can help them manage OCD disorder. Most of these
materials are based on the cognitive behavior therapy3. OCD individuals can use peer support
group in which they can meet with a lot of people who have gone through the same experiences.
Peer support groups make them feel less isolated and they are also given an opportunity to share
their opinion on how someone can cope with the feelings and experiences. An individual can
access this peer groups online on social media sites and online communities. Engaging in
physical activities such as sport can help a person with OCD disorder. Physical activities enable
people to enhance their mental wellness4. It’s, therefore, the role of the Australian government to
ensure that people with this disorder engage themselves in physical activities. It is also the role
of the government to ensure that there are some rules and regulations in the country which allow
people to respect and treat each other as equal. If the effects of OCD exceeds, a person is advised
to seek medical attention.
Bibliography
McElroy, Susan L., Katharine A. Phillips, and Jr PE Keck. "Obsessive compulsive spectrum
disorder." The Journal of clinical psychiatry 55 (1994): 33-51.
3Sa ena Sanjaya Arthur rody effrey M Schwartz and ewis R a ter " euroimaging and frontalx , , L. B , J . , L . B x . N -
subcortical circuitry in obsessive compulsive disorder " he ritish ournal of sychiatry no S- . T B J P 173, . 35
(1998): 26-37.
4Soomro Mustafa Douglas Altman Sundararajan Rajagopal and Mark akley rowne "Selective, G. , G. , , O B .
serotonin re uptake inhibitors SSR s versus placebo for obsessive compulsive disorder CD "‐ ( I ) (O ).
Cochrane database of systematic reviews 1 (2008).

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Pediatric, O. C. D. "Cognitive-behavior therapy, sertraline, and their combination for children
and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder: the Pediatric OCD Treatment Study
(POTS) randomized controlled trial." Jama 292, no. 16 (2004): 1969.
Saxena, Sanjaya, Arthur L. Brody, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, and Lewis R. Baxter. "Neuroimaging
and frontal-subcortical circuitry in obsessive-compulsive disorder." The British Journal of
Psychiatry 173, no. S35 (1998): 26-37.
Soomro, G. Mustafa, Douglas G. Altman, Sundararajan Rajagopal, and Mark Oakley Browne.
"Selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) versus placebo for obsessive compulsive
disorder (OCD)." Cochrane database of systematic reviews 1 (2008).