According to the Arnot Ogden Medical Glossary(2009), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is “an anxiety disorder in which a person has an unreasonable thought, fear, or worry that he or she tries to manage through a ritualized activity to reduce the anxiety.”
Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) is a mental illness in which the sufferer experiences exaggeration of the normal human behaviour of anxiety. Anxiety is normal, and is part of ‘being human’. It’s just worrying about everything in an exaggerated way. For example, many sufferers of OCD will repeatedly go back and check they’ve turned something off (lights, oven, etc) ‘just to make sure’. One of the most common instances of OCD is the need for constant hygiene, which often causes the sufferer to be continuously washing their hands.
In terms of the Nature-Nurture debate , OCD is seen as a disorder that derives from both sides of the argument, however it is important to see what role both nature and nurture play.
The main role of nature in the concept of OCD is similar to the role nature plays in many other arguments. From a nature perspective, many sufferers are seen to be born with the predisposition to OCD, and may even have it all of their life. This can be especially common if one or both parents have the disorder, as in the case of many disorders.
But one must remember that even if a person genetically inherits traits such as
these, they only have the predisposition to the disorder. Something has to happen to set off these predispositions, and this is where the nurture argument comes in. People often develop OCD after an experience they had which has affected them. For instance, a rape victim may feel ‘dirty’, and so they wash and wash their hands all the time, to help them feel ‘clean’ again.
OCD can definitely be seen as being brought on by factors of both nature and nurture, however it is important to see what role each plays in one acquiring the disorder. This disorder may be a combination of both, however both nature and nurture play important parts.
Questions
Do you believe that OCD is either nature or nurture, or both?
Could OCD be a genetic trait amongst families?
If you were a professional, would nature vs nurture be an important factor to look at in the treatment of OCD?
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Do you believe that OCD is either nature or nurture, or both?
ReplyDeleteLike schizophrenia, Bipolar and several other mental illnesses; it is impossible to classify OCD as either nature or nurture. True, the most common way to have it is from birth, and therefore nature, but it still needs a trigger, therefore nature.
Could OCD be a genetic trait amongst families?
Most certainly, and the trigger (nature) might be present in having parents with OCD. OCD is definitely more present where both parents have OCD.
If you were a professional, would nature vs nurture be an important factor to look at in the treatment of OCD?
Definitely, and I have to say that although it would be the most difficult; prevention of triggers would have to be the most likely treatment for OCD. Obviously if this was impossible; immersion therapy and aversion therapy to help the patient get over the trigger would be the next most likely.
I believe OCD is both a result of nature and nurture. This is because someones genetic make-up determines whether a person is susceptible to the disorder. However, nurture plays a role in the activation of the disease and how severe the disorder can be. If someone is caught in a stressful situation or any type of environment which causes them the worry there is the possibility that if they have the correct disposition that the disorder can be triggered.
ReplyDeleteOCD could possiblity be a genetic trait, however, if a family member has a different mental illness OCD could be inhertied instead of the disease the family member has. However, it is possible that OCD or at least strands of it are inherited through genetics.
If I was a professional I would focus more on the nurture side of the debate to try and treat the patient. However, there would also be a nature side to the treatment. This would be through the persciption of medication or another form of treatment. However, it is hard to perscribe medication for OCD patients as the disorder can be more simply looked at as an extremely bad habit.
Maddie R 10P