(no subject)
////// is a neurological disorder defined by recurrent, unwelcome thoughts ///// and repetitive behaviors //// that /////// sufferers feel driven to perform. People with //////// know their //// and //////// are irrational or excessive, yet they have little or no control over them.
Typical //////// Dirt, germs and contamination, fear of acting on violent or aggressive impulses, feeling overly responsible for the safety of others, abhorrent religious (blasphemous) and sexual thoughts, and an inordinate concern with order, arrangement or symmetry. Typical ////////// Repetitive behaviors such as excessive washing (particulary hand washing or bathing), cleaning, checking, touching, counting, arranging, ordering or hoarding. Ritualistic behaviors seem to lessen the distress from obsessions, but buy only short-term comfort at the long-term cost of frequent ritual repetition. What are some of the other symptoms of ////? People with /////////// may become demoralized or depressed. Feelings of intense anxiety, discomfort or disgust are common. Other symptoms that may be related to /// are plucking out strands of hair or eyebrows (//////////), the preoccupation with a minor or imagined bodily defect (body dysmorphic disorder), severe or extreme nail biting or the unfounded fear of having a serious illness (hypochondriasis). How disabling is ////? Impairment ranges from mild to severe. Sometimes symptoms are crippling. Hospitalization may become necessary and regular employment impossible. On the other hand, many individuals, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, homemakers, businessmen! women, factory workers, performers and entertainers continue to function, despite symptoms of ////. However, /////// takes a toll on the sufferer, his/her family and co-workers, even when a sufferer only experiences symptoms for one-half hour a day. The emotional and economic costs of ///// to the individual, the family, and society are enormous. Are people with ////// "crazy?" No.The behaviors may seem "crazy," but the person performing them is not. In fact, an //// sufferer is acutely aware of the excessiveness or irrationality of his/her fears or behaviors, yet is unable to control them. This self-awareness creates a new fear that others will think he/she is weak or crazy People with //// are very often very secretive about their symptoms and afraid to seek treatment. This may explain why //// was previously underreported. What are the possible causes of /////? The exact causes of //// are still unknown. However, researchers strongly suspect that a biochemical imbalance is involved. Alterations in one or more of the brain’s chemical systems that regulate repetitive behaviors may be related to the cause of //////. These balances may be inherited. Psychological factors and stress may heighten symptoms.