Ocd

I found the article Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Pharmacological Therapy

with Behavioral Therapy to be Very Interesting. Through Mary's story I have learned a

lot of new and interesting information concerning Obsessive Compulsive Disorders.

Mary had several symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the

most obvious being the excessive hand washing. One of the common obsessions of

OCD is contamination fears of germs, dirt, etc. and the common compulsion is

washing, which in Mary's case became so excessive that it was taking 6 to 8 hours of

her day. She also spent hours cleaning her house ridding it of dirt and dust. Another

symptom of Mary's OCD was her increasing limit of contact with family and friends.

Mary's treatment included a variety of different aspects. Due to the severity of

Mary's depressed mood and suicidal thoughts Mary was treated as an inpatient. Mary's

treatment began with a prescription for an antidepressant and was followed by milieu

therapy, which consisted of general supportive care, group discussions and was

educated on OCD. Next Mary had behavior therapy which consisted of two elements:

exposure therapy and behavior contracting. Her exposure therapy obviously included

exposure to the holy wafer, which was the object of her obsession. And the her behavior

contracting included specific agreements which limits her compulsive behavior such

as an agreement to limit her hand washing until eventually it was reduced to a normal

amount.

The follow-up assessments indicated that Mary's treatment had been a success.

She had a virtual absence of her compulsive behavior and little disturbance from her

obsessional thoughts.

The thing I found most interesting about this study is that I did not realize the

seriousness