This mental disorder is shown when a person acts or worries about something obsessively and does things to remedy them excessively.
In OCD, the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just can't let go. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder causes the person with it to urealistically focus on something to the point of upset. It could be a need to keep every item in the house in a perfect spot, perfectly clean and not allowing anyone to touch the item.
OCD is generally treated with physchotherapy, medication or both.
Psychotherapy. A type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy is especially useful for treating OCD. It teaches a person different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that help him or her feel less anxious or fearful without having obsessive thoughts or acting compulsively.
Medication. Doctors also may prescribe medication to help treat OCD. The most commonly prescribed medications for OCD are anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants.
DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), is an illness that is characterized by the presence of at least two clear personality states, called alters, which may have different reactions, emotions, and body functioning.
Signs and symptoms of DID include memory lapses, blackouts, being often accused of lying, finding apparently strange items among one's possessions, having apparent strangers recognize them as someone else, feeling unreal, and feeling like more than one person.
Treatment for DID consists primarily of psychotherapy with hypnosis. The therapist seeks to make contact with as many alters as possible and to understand their roles and functions in the patient's life. In particular, the therapist seeks to form an effective relationship with any personalities and achieve breakdown of the patient's separate identities and their unification into a single identity.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior–from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. And unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so intense that they interfere with the ability to function.
The causes of bipolar disorder aren’t completely understood, but it often runs in families. The symptoms can be subtle and confusing, so many people with bipolar disorder are overlooked or misdiagnosed–resulting in unnecessary suffering. But with proper treatment and support, you can lead a rich and fulfilling life.
Bipolar disorder has no single cause. It appears that certain people are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder. Yet not everyone with an inherited vulnerability develops the illness, indicating that genes are not the only cause.
Bipolar disorder is a treatable illness. Everyone with this illness should be under the care of a physician, preferably a psychiatrist. Because manic-depression starts in the brain, regulating brain hormones and neurotransmitters with medications is the first line of therapy. Some form of counseling is also recommended. Alternative therapies exist as well, some controversial, some experimental, some fairly well established.
Daniela E.