Is OCD a PHYSICAL or MENTAL Condition?

For most of us, our mornings are all about same old daily routines. We wake up, take a bath, eat breakfast, change clothes and grab the car keys. But, for a person with OCD, morning routines may not be that easy. It could mean an ordeal that you find too difficult to overcome. Your mornings could mean washing the dishes several times. You know that you’ve already cleaned it soon after you finished eating your breakfast. But, then you have that unexplainable urge deep within you to rewash the dishes. You want to make sure that you didn’t miss washing even the smallest dirt on it. So, there you go washing the same dishes for the nth time. Now, looking at the big clock on the wall you know that you need to leave for work. But then you felt that you still need to rewash the same dishes. Because you wanted to make sure they’re clean! And, you do the same thing every morning. You know that doing it several times is not a rational thing to do. But, what can you do? You can’t help yourself; the urge to wash it, again and again, is just too strong for you to ignore. But, wait, don’t lose hope. Experts are now looking into the possible causes of this relentless condition.

OCD Linked to Brain Inflammation

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD is a condition characterized by uncontrollable behavior and persistent thoughts. This condition affects about 2 percent of the population. The medications currently prescribed to OCD sufferers were found to work only in about two-thirds of them. But, a study conducted by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health showed some promising findings that would help experts come up with new and better ways to treat OCD. In the said study, a PET or Positron Emission Tomography which is a brain imaging tool was used to make observations on the brains of healthy study participants. While the other half of the study participants had OCD. The results of the brain imaging device showed that the inflammation rate among people with OCD is 32 percent higher compared to participants who don’t have OCD.

Brain imaging scans also revealed that when OCD individuals tried to resist their compulsions, inflammation in their brain even worsened. Experts explained that although inflammation is the body’s way of responding to injury or infection as a way of helping the body heal. But, in the case of OCD, the rate of inflammation had become so high it already caused adverse impacts on the brain.

Medications are now being developed to combat brain inflammation. However, more research has to be conducted to figure out the specific factors responsible for the increase of inflammation in the brains of OCD individuals. Moreover, researchers also said that more work has to be done to enable inflammation better promote positive results.

OCD Linked to Damage in Basal Ganglia of the Brain

Many psychiatrists used to believe that OCD is purely a mental condition. However, findings from recent research suggest otherwise. Researchers found out that OCD is caused by damage to the basal ganglia of the brain. This is why experts are now beginning to perceive OCD as more of a biological disorder rather than a mental illness. The said damage in the specific part of the brain possibly triggered the development of OCD symptoms. In other words, physical damage in any areas of the brain could lead to a neuropsychological condition.

Radiological studies showed that the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of the brain were found to communicate more actively with the brain’s basal ganglia among people with OCD. These two parts of the brain were said to play a role in detecting errors that may occur in the brain circuits. And, that their interactions with the basal ganglia could be the reason for the emergence of OCD symptoms. Researchers theorize that any damage that occurs in the ACG and OFC may have resulted in the loss of the error-detection capabilities of these two areas of the brain. Thus, the persistent repetition of messages in the brain, which manifests in the obsessive-compulsive behavior occurs. And, this repetitive and hyper-excited mode of the brain is what experts refer to as “brain lock.”

People diagnosed with OCD can make use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in conjunction with prescription medication to combat the symptoms of brain lock that is present among OCD sufferers. Surprisingly, research also reveals that these OCD symptoms can be staved off without the use of any medications.