WEBVTT 00:00:06.608 --> 00:00:08.269 There's a common misconception 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:11.000 that if you like to meticulously organize your things, 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:12.573 keep your hands clean, 00:00:12.573 --> 00:00:15.727 or plan our your weekend to the last detail, 00:00:15.727 --> 00:00:19.152 you might have OCD. 00:00:19.152 --> 00:00:24.129 In fact, OCD, which stands for obsessive compulsive disorder, 00:00:24.129 --> 00:00:26.348 is a serious psychiatric condition 00:00:26.348 --> 00:00:28.623 that is frequently misunderstood by society 00:00:28.623 --> 00:00:31.739 and mental health professionals alike. 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:34.669 So let's start by debunking some myths. 00:00:34.669 --> 00:00:40.318 Myth one: repetitive or ritualistic behaviors are synonymous with OCD. 00:00:40.318 --> 00:00:41.951 As its name suggests, 00:00:41.951 --> 00:00:45.102 obsessive compulsive disorder has two aspects: 00:00:45.102 --> 00:00:50.106 the intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses, known as obsessions, 00:00:50.106 --> 00:00:53.413 and the behavioral compulsions people engage in 00:00:53.413 --> 00:00:56.942 to relieve the anxiety the obsessions cause. 00:00:56.942 --> 00:01:00.217 The kinds of actions that people often associate with OCD, 00:01:00.217 --> 00:01:04.079 like excessive hand washing, or checking things repeatedly, 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:08.029 may be examples of obsessive or compulsive tendencies 00:01:08.029 --> 00:01:10.847 that many of us exhibit from time to time. 00:01:10.847 --> 00:01:16.264 But the actual disorder is far more rare and can be quite debilitating. 00:01:16.264 --> 00:01:20.279 People affected have little or no control over their obsessive thoughts 00:01:20.279 --> 00:01:22.333 and compulsive behaviors, 00:01:22.333 --> 00:01:24.108 which tend to be time consuming 00:01:24.108 --> 00:01:28.405 and interfere with work, school or social life 00:01:28.405 --> 00:01:31.230 to the point of causing significant distress. 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:36.506 This set of diagnostic criteria is what separates people suffering from OCD 00:01:36.506 --> 00:01:39.702 from those who may just be a bit more meticulous 00:01:39.702 --> 00:01:42.488 or hygiene-obsessed than usual. 00:01:42.488 --> 00:01:47.239 Myth two: the main symptom of OCD is excessive hand washing. 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:51.864 Although hand washing is the most common image of OCD in popular culture, 00:01:51.864 --> 00:01:55.718 obsessions and compulsions can take many different forms. 00:01:55.718 --> 00:01:59.847 Obsessions can manifest as fears of contamination and illness, 00:01:59.847 --> 00:02:02.196 worries about harming others, 00:02:02.196 --> 00:02:08.035 or preoccupations with numbers, patterns, morality, or sexual identity. 00:02:08.035 --> 00:02:11.623 And compulsions can range from excessive cleaning or double checking, 00:02:11.623 --> 00:02:14.938 to the fastidious arrangement of objects, 00:02:14.938 --> 00:02:18.534 or walking in predetermined patterns. 00:02:18.534 --> 00:02:19.856 Myth three: 00:02:19.856 --> 00:02:24.857 individuals with OCD don't understand that they are acting irrationally. 00:02:24.857 --> 00:02:28.712 Many individuals with OCD actually understand the relationship 00:02:28.712 --> 00:02:32.729 between their obsessions and compulsions quite well. 00:02:32.729 --> 00:02:35.358 Being unable to avoid these thoughts and actions 00:02:35.358 --> 00:02:38.444 despite being aware of their irrationality 00:02:38.444 --> 00:02:42.040 is part of the reason why OCD is so distressing. 00:02:42.040 --> 00:02:44.489 OCD sufferers report feeling crazy 00:02:44.489 --> 00:02:47.465 for experiencing anxiety based on irrational thoughts 00:02:47.465 --> 00:02:50.836 and finding it difficult to control their responses. 00:02:50.836 --> 00:02:53.371 So what exactly causes OCD? 00:02:53.371 --> 00:02:56.328 The frustrating answer is we don't really know. 00:02:56.328 --> 00:02:58.765 However, we have some important clues. 00:02:58.765 --> 00:03:02.236 OCD is considered a neurobiological disorder. 00:03:02.236 --> 00:03:06.466 In other words, research suggests that OCD sufferers brains 00:03:06.466 --> 00:03:10.228 are actually hardwired to behave in a certain fashion. 00:03:10.228 --> 00:03:12.701 Research has implicated three regions of the brain 00:03:12.701 --> 00:03:16.900 variously involved in social behavior and complex cognitive planning, 00:03:16.900 --> 00:03:18.575 voluntary movement, 00:03:18.575 --> 00:03:22.261 and emotional and motivational responses. 00:03:22.261 --> 00:03:24.089 The other piece of the puzzle 00:03:24.089 --> 00:03:28.271 is that OCD is associated with low levels of serotonin, 00:03:28.271 --> 00:03:32.023 a neurotransmitter that communicates between brain structures 00:03:32.023 --> 00:03:34.594 and helps regulate vital processes, 00:03:34.594 --> 00:03:37.417 such as mood, aggression, impulse control, 00:03:37.417 --> 00:03:42.205 sleep, appetite, body temperature and pain. 00:03:42.205 --> 00:03:46.728 But are serotonin and activity in these brain regions the sources of OCD 00:03:46.728 --> 00:03:51.227 or symptoms of an unknown underlying cause of the disorder. 00:03:51.227 --> 00:03:52.768 We probably won't know until 00:03:52.768 --> 00:03:56.726 we have a much more intimate understanding of the brain. 00:03:56.726 --> 00:04:00.254 The good news is there are effective treatments for OCD, 00:04:00.254 --> 00:04:03.462 including medications, which increase serotonin in the brain 00:04:03.462 --> 00:04:06.513 by limiting its reabsorption by brain cells, 00:04:06.513 --> 00:04:11.517 behavioral therapy that gradually desensitizes patients to their anxieties, 00:04:11.517 --> 00:04:14.660 and in some cases, electroconvulsive therapy, 00:04:14.660 --> 00:04:19.188 or surgery, when OCD doesn't respond to other forms of treatment. 00:04:19.188 --> 00:04:21.762 Knowing that your own brain is lying to you 00:04:21.762 --> 00:04:26.000 while not being able to resist its commands can be agonizing. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.105 But with knowledge and understanding comes the power to seek help, 00:04:30.105 --> 00:04:31.750 and future research into the brain 00:04:31.750 --> 00:04:34.962 may finally provide the answers we're looking for.