Examples of Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, involves anxious thoughts or rituals you
feel you can't control. If you have OCD, you may be plagued by persistent,
unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain
rituals.
You may be obsessed with germs or dirt, so you wash your hands over and over.
You may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly. You
may have frequent thoughts of violence, and fear that you will harm people close
to you. You may spend long periods touching things or counting; you may be
pre-occupied by order or symmetry; you may have persistent thoughts of
performing sexual acts that are repugnant to you; or you may be troubled by
thoughts that are against your religious beliefs.
The disturbing thoughts or images are called obsessions, and the rituals that
are performed to try to prevent or get rid of them are called compulsions. There
is no pleasure in carrying out the rituals you are drawn to, only temporary
relief from the anxiety that grows when you don't perform them.
A lot of healthy people can identify with some of the symptoms of OCD, such as
checking the stove several times before leaving the house. But for people with
OCD, such activities consume at least an hour a day, are very distressing, and
interfere with daily life.
Most adults with this condition recognize that what they're doing is senseless,
but they can't stop it. Some people, though, particularly children with OCD, may
not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can
develop following a terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have persistent
frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb,
especially with people they were once close to. PTSD was first brought to public
attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic
incidents. These include violent attacks such as mugging, rape, or torture;
being kidnapped or held captive; child abuse; serious accidents such as car or
train wrecks; and natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. The event
that triggers PTSD may be something that threatened the person's life or the
life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be something witnessed, such as
massive death and destruction after a building is bombed or a plane crashes.
Whatever the source of the problem, some people with PTSD repeatedly relive the
trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day.
They may also experience other sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be
easily startled. They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy and have
trouble feeling affectionate. They may feel irritable, more aggressive than
before, or even violent. Things that remind them of the trauma may be very
distressing, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that
bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the traumatic event are often very
difficult.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is much more than the normal anxiety people
experience day to day. It's chronic and fills one's day with exaggerated worry
and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. Having this
disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about
health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is
hard to pinpoint. Simply the thought of getting through the day provokes
anxiety.
People with GAD can't seem to shake their concerns, even though they usually
realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. Their
worries are accompanied by physical symptoms, especially fatigue, headaches,
muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching,
irritability, sweating, and hot flashes. People with GAD may feel lightheaded or
out of breath. They also may feel nauseated or have to go to the bathroom
frequently.
Individuals with GAD seem unable to relax, and they may startle more easily than
other people. They tend to have difficulty concentrating, too. Often, they have
trouble falling or staying asleep.
Unlike people with several other anxiety disorders, people with GAD don't
characteristically avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder. When
impairment associated with GAD is mild, people with the disorder may be able to
function in social settings or on the job. If severe, however, GAD can be very
debilitating, making it difficult to carry out even the most ordinary daily
activities.
Somatoform Disorder
People with somatoform disorder have a number of different symptoms that
typically last for several years. Their symptoms can't be traced to a specific
physical cause. In people with somatoform disorder, medical test results are
either normal or don't explain the person's symptoms. People who have somatoform
disorder often become very worried about their health because they don't know
what is causing their health problems. The symptoms of somatoform disorder are
similar to the symptoms of other illnesses. People with this disorder may have
several medical evaluations and tests to be sure that they don't have another
illness.
Symptoms of somatoform disorder may include frequent headaches, back pain,
abdominal cramping and pelvic pain. Other symptoms include pain in the joints,
legs and arms, and chest or abdominal pain. Somatoform disorder may also cause
gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea and food
intolerance. Sometimes somatoform disorder makes it painful for a person to
urinate, even if he or she doesn't have an infection.
The goal in treating somatoform disorder is for a person to be able to live a
normal life as much as possible, even though he or she may still have some pain
or other symptoms. Fortunately, somatoform disorder will not shorten a person's
life. Although there is no known cure, it can be managed.