The history of OCD, as with any similar disorder, is a long and muddled one. Different titles came and went, theories were disproved, but people with OCD have always existed and always will.
OCD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, is a disorder which often (though not always) falls into one of four categories: intrusive thoughts, where one’s mind is stuck on one particular type of thought; checking, where one obsessively checks to see any of a number of things -- that the lights or stove are off, that the door is locked, whether they’re pregnant. Cleaning is another common category of OCD which entails feeling that what’s around you is dirty and often comes with a compulsion to clean. Lastly, symmetry and ordering display themselves in many with OCD, wherein you feel the urge to line or order things in a particular manner. Of course, many people have complex combinations of these symptoms, and there are far many more ways to have this disorder than can be mentioned here. These symptoms, although recently scientifically developed, are not new -- in fact, they have been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Records of afflictions detailed exactly like OCD have been found from the fourteenth century and onwards, though this disorder was then called “scrupulosity” to convey its obsessive nature. Many highly revered minds seemed to have had it, and it was thought to be brought about by physical illness or the devil. In these early descriptions, many of the writers describe doubt and questioning of one’s self as a main characterization, often relating to religion and unintended sin. Draining blood from the “sufferer” was meant to help the condition.
Later, in the 18th and 19th century, the links to religion were calmed as society’s religious centric mindset dulled, and more symptoms were described, such as the compulsive washing and checking of things and adamant fear of disease. The 1800s were a very important time of research and development on OCD. Obsessions were distinguished from delusions, which unlike the former do not occur with insight, and OCD was thought of as a form of monomania: partial insanity. This was because it was seen to only affect one section of life/the mind, and most bearing the disorder functioned exactly as those without in other areas of their lives. ‘The doubting disease’ became a common name to refer to it. German psychiatrists thought of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as a disease of intellect, and by 1877 science began to recognize it as both cognitive and compulsive. This forged a path to what we know OCD to be today.
In contemporary society, OCD is viewed as a neuropsychiatric disorder that is composed of two main behaviors — obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are characterized by their intrusive nature, and are generally seen as images or thoughts in a person’s mind. Some common examples of these obsessions include fear of contamination, fear of losing control, unwanted violent or sexually explicit thoughts, fear of not being prepared, and more. The anxiety that arises from these obsessions is quelled through compulsions: a redundant set of behaviors. Subjects of OCD may know that these motions are irrational, but they feel that if they stop, their obsessions will exist in actuality.
Contrary to the lengthy past of OCD, there are now effective treatments that people with OCD can access. The most popular treatment is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and medication. CBT helps people identify and change their obsessions whilst medication (such as serotonin rebuke inhabitants) releases more serotonin into one's brain so that the deeper structures and front part of the brain can communicate more easily, helping to alleviate symptoms of OCD.
Though the history of OCD may have been brutal and full of uncertainty, modern day scientists have and will continue to work and help those with it lead a life with their obsessions and compulsions in complete control.
By Maya Ford and Ava Stryker-Robbins
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