Are you the type of person who has a phobia of germs, dirt, or contaminated bodily fluids? Is the only way to feel safe and pure is for you to cleanse yourself countless times a day? Or maybe you're the type of person who has to check things twice, three times or more. Perhaps you're the type of person who has to do everything twice, or by a fixed number. Maybe you are the type of person who must have everything neatly placed, and if misplaced at all you throw a tantrum. If you are a person who happens to do any of these things then maybe you have OCD, the acronym for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
             Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (formerly known as obsessive neurosis) "is categorized as an anxiety disorder because the main focus seems to be anxiety and discomfort that is usually increased by the obsessions (thoughts) and decreased by the compulsions or rituals (actions)." (Baer 3) According to Baer, Obsessions are defined as recurrent, persistent ideas, thoughts, images, or impulses that are experienced, at least initially, as intrusive and senseless. Compulsions are defined as repetitive, purposeful, and intentional behaviors that are performed in response to an obsession or according to certain rules or in a stereotypical fashion. (Baer 3)
             Obsession-compulsive disorder usually begins in late adolescence in one to two thirds of reported cases. The problem is associated with significant life changes. Obsessive-compulsive disorder results from biological and psychological influences. Abnormal levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin may play a role in OCD. Catscans of people with OCD have discovered irregularities in the activity level of the orbital cortex, caudate nucleus, cingulate cortex, and a brain circuit that assists control movements of the limbs. (Pato 8) Many patients report having numerous neurotic problems during childhood. These patients become socially isolated, and consequently fall into a deep d...