Biological Causes Of OCD

OCD is defined as a mental disorder in which there are obsessive and compulsive thoughts. These obsessions are impulses which repeat uncontrollably, like a needle becoming stuck in an old record. Thoughts associated with the obsessions make little to no sense, and evoke feelings of doubt, fear, perfection, and/or organization (What is OCD? 2014, April 28). It is an anxiety disorder, where the unwanted thoughts are excessively repetitive, and the compulsions create ritualized behaviors. For example, washing one’s hands over and over, or constantly checking to make sure the doors are locked. The brain becomes latched onto a specific compulsion which is always very difficult to control. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), n.d.) A person who possesses these compulsions “believes that preforming

The biological causes are related to a circuit within the brain which relays information through the orbitofrontal cortex, (also known as the front part of the brain) to the striatum, and the thalamus (farther back in the brain). This circuit is responsible for the primitive acts of behavior, such as sexuality, bodily erections and aggression. When this circuit is triggered, impulses are apprehended which result in the individual preforming a certain behavior correlating with the impulse (What causes OCD? n.d.). Neurotransmitters are defined by ncbi.nlm.nih.gov as “chemical signals released from presynaptic nerve terminals into the synaptic cleft (a microscopic gap between the neurons)”. When a specific type of neurotransmitter called, “serotonin” is blocked, the brain becomes distressed which results in the misreading of information. The mind creates messages of danger, and the mind begins focusing heavily on these messages. Consequently, the individual then has significant feelings of distress, concern, and dubiousness. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 2012, May