obsessive-compulsive disorder is more common than we think. in fact, around 20% of those who consult me suffer from the disorder. just like major depression, ocd is caused by an imbalance of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in the brain. it is best treated with anti-depressants-- which are actually serotonin balancers.
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there certainly is hope for ocd patients. once the right anti-depressant and dosage is found, the ocd symptoms should diminish or disappear within 2-3 weeks. the most effective treatment regimen consists of anti-depressant medication, psychotherapy, stress management techniques, and holistic therapies.
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sandra aguinaldo, the host of gma's tv documentary show "i-witness" asked me to share some information on ocd. here is a description of the documentary:
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"Sikreto ko, OC ako." (Documentary of Sandra Aguinaldo)
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Washing hands again and again, switching lights on and off, repeatedly locking and unlocking doors. These are just some of the compulsions of people with OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
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In movies, the behavior of characters with OCD may be portrayed as strangely amusing. But real life for OCD sufferers is not as funny. They have obsessive thoughts that drive them to perform certain peculiar rituals.
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26 year-old Efren is so gripped with the thought of germs contaminating him that he would disinfect his girlfriend’s hand before holding it. Hand-washing is a tedious ritual for him. It would start in the kitchen, scrubbing each finger 3 times, then the whole hand several times more. He would then proceed to the bathroom only to repeat the whole process. Although he admits these urges are bizarre, he says that he is unable to stop it.
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Odd as his behavior may be, Efren’s case is not as unique as it seems. In fact, it is estimated that there are more than 1 million Filipinos with OCD. Despite this, OCD is still a hidden illness among us. The stigma of mental illness has forced them to suffer in silence. Yet for most of them, there is a chance to live better-quality lives, if only their condition is understood better.
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Together with host Sandra Aguinaldo, enter the unusual world of people with OCD this Monday on I-Witness, airing on GMA-7, after Saksi.
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hi doc!
ReplyDeletei am suffering from "fear of the future" which gives me panic attacks. it dissipates at nighttime but i wake up gripped with fear to face the day. please enlighten me. i don't understand wat's happening to me.
Where to go for HOCD patients here in the Philippines? I've tried series of test online and turned out to be high risk.
ReplyDeleteHey, i don't want to self proclaim but i've been suspecting myself of having ocd. I mean i'm having so many thoughts in my head, running in my mind all day, then i enter the c.r. 2 times in an hour to check the faucet.making sure the pail is full. It's been going on for a 3 years now and surprisingly nobody notices it in my house. I really worried bc i tried online tests and they were all confirming it. Ofc it's not a diagnosis but i'm worried. Sorry for the rant i just want some professional advice. I'm a student and this instinctive abnormal pattern is really a distraction in my studies. Tell me what to do,doc. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm not entirely sure if it's OCD I suffer from, because I also have symptoms of depression/anxiety (i.e. debilitating thoughts of insufficiency, rendering me unable to leave my room despite hating the environment, wanting to escape, crying spells, etc). However what bothers me at times is the fact that I can't seem to get over scratches on my gadgets, the reason for it being that these things are expensive and I don't have much money, therefore I would have used a LOT of my money to get them. When my boyfriend's helper accidentally knocked a plate to the corner of my then-new laptop I I got so obsessed over the bump that I actually thought it was very large and the thought consumed me for a very long time. Every time I would get a new gadget I would keep checking for scratches and it really stresses me out when I don't. Even when I got my glasses for the first time (it was not that expensive but I bought it with money that I was given) I kept checking it, wanting it to always look brand new. I am now doing the same for my Kindle because the people at the store where I asked for a screen protector were not very nice and when the Kindle was returned to me there were small blemishes that I tried to rub out but they're still visible and now all I see are the blemishes but I really am doing my best to think that the Kindle is a TOOL and not a display thing.
ReplyDeleteI have also had a history of an eating disorder in 2012 which caused me to stop having menses for 9 months.
Could this be OCD?
I think i have this because even when i locked a door i am going to sure it is locked again just to get it safe even i have a bad thoughts or negative thoughts that scared me or fear me a lot of time and its 4 months now its getting worse when i taking a bath every morning i was thinking negative thoughts and when i eat at always cannot talk i am not talking a lot now but before i am always laughing, before i was a simple person and happy person who is very focusing in studying but now i cannot focused my study i was felt so scared and anxious.
ReplyDeletePlease Help?..
I think i have this because even when i locked a door i am going to sure it is locked again just to get it safe even i have a bad thoughts or negative thoughts that scared me or fear me a lot of time and its 4 months now its getting worse when i taking a bath every morning i was thinking negative thoughts and when i eat at always cannot talk i am not talking a lot now but before i am always laughing, before i was a simple person and happy person who is very focusing in studying but now i cannot focused my study i was felt so scared and anxious.
ReplyDeletePlease Help?..
Hello guys, I'm 14 and I've been diagnosed for OCD this month, I have a really bad OCD, my doctor gave me anti-depressants and low dose of anti-psychotic drug called resperidone. I have intrusive thoughts where I have thoughts about things that I really feared of like, "What if this thing is bad?" even it's not. And I have some thoughts about harming others, pulling hair, and scratching skin, but I always try to expose and resist myself from doing this compulsions but there is some I can't control like washing hands repeatedly, plugging in and plugging out an outlet until my anxiety gets away, and I am afraid of some diseases and disorders and I am also afraid of germs, bacteria, etc. And I'm also a perfectionist in things like I wabt things clean, is there any therapist here at Pangasinan? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAko nman po need help ocd staring nman po san po ako pwedeng magpatinging im from marikina
ReplyDeleteparehas tayo ng OCD staring, message moko sa fb (Ikarus Nemchinovka) magtulungan tayo.
DeleteHi, I'm 11 yrs old when I started to get dark, intrusive thoughts into my mind. It started out in religious obsessive thoughts, since my family are very religious. Compulsions like kneeling and praying whether a dark and intrusive thoughts came into my mind, my avoidance to articles that feature blasphemy and my frequent checking of my hands. Things started to shift in a sense that currently now, after 4 years. I'm still experiencing thoughts about self harm or harming others, forbidden sexual and perverse images and impulses started to plague my life. Anf my fear of being terminally ill like blindness or cancer, death penalty in the philippines and others started to intrude into my mind that I started to have compulsions about these topics.
ReplyDeleteHoarding and excessive cleaning I do not mind that much but these inteusive thoughts are killing me slowly and I'm afraid I would impulsedly act on these.
Please Help.
Kaulangan ko po ng tulong...
Help me I'm 16 yrs old, I have this intrusive thoughts. Religious obssessive thoughts, It started a few weeks ago. I need to avoid this I don't know. I'm tired like I want to end my life as long as to get rid if it. I'm watching religious videos to help me get rid of it and memorize bible verses so I will keep fighting and never lose hope. It attacked me everyday, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteHi! You can reach me through my email: maxineysobelle@gmail.com. I am suffering with the same OCD
DeleteHi! You can reach me through my email: maxineysobelle@gmail.com. I am suffering with the same OCD
ReplyDeleteI'm 18 from Philippines I'm suffering called scrupulosity OCD but I'm not sure if this is SPIRITUAL or Mental illness i don't know i suffer this its been 5 months from now. its still going and destroying my study and also my life I'm a Christian and also my family is active members in Church. one time I'm watching the video about Hell so horrifying and i feel scared and afraid and that time I'm Questioning my salvation and that the start of the problem also i think i commit blasphemous or what and others intrusive thoughts in my mind. then until now I'll stop my study because I'm irritating with my classmate bully me. because I'm a weird person and i cant stand he/she standards. thats why my patience its so small. and now I'm stop my study but still I'm so so active to Church and to go prayer meeting to know that i am a servant of God.but i think now I'm still going through this wasted time with dealing in this situation. but now I'm still finding a therapy and medication also counselling and psychology I'm willing to pay i want to rid this scrupulosity or what.
ReplyDelete