Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complicated and still puzzling psychiatric disorder that has been called one of the most debilitating of the anxiety disorders (Barrett et. al., 2003, p. 80). Recent studies suggest that approximately 2-3 percent of children will suffer from OCD, which can have devastating effects on their self-image, school performance, and peer and family relationships (Barrett et. al., 2003, p. 80).
OCD is biological and psychological.
No research has yet determined the precise cause of OCD. However, obsessive-compulsive behavior is treated as a psychiatric condition that some researchers believe may have both neurobiological and psychological features (Steinberger & Schuch, 2002, p. 97). Most researchers would likely agree that the disorder occurs when one part of the brain has difficulty communicating with another part (Postgraduate Medicine, 2003, p. 91). In some studies, this difficulty in communication has been linked to the absence of sufficient supplies of an internal biochemical substance called serotonin, which operates as a messenger in the brain (Postgraduate Medicine, 2003, p. 91). Other researchers have also hypothesized that OCD and other anxiety-related disorders occur when the brain or other internal biochemical substances (neurotransmitters such as nerepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine) that help individuals prepare for danger malfunction (Valente, 2002, p. 125). Neurotransmitters control mood, movement, blood pressure, and neural impulse conduction. For example, norepinephrine, in particular, triggers tremors, anxiety, nervousness, and increased vital signs (Valente, 2002, p. 125).
This link to OCD with brain activity suggests that OCD is a biological disease. This argument is supported by earlier researchers conclusions that, historically, OCD developed among people who had biological disorders such as war-related head injuries, and Tourette's syndrome (Valente, 2002, p....