Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior During The Renaissance

Obsessive-compulsive behavior has been around for a long time, before psychology was even considered a philosophy, let alone a science. During the Renaissance, OCD was reclassifed as an illness, and not the work of demons and supernatural forces. "Scrupulosity" was first coined, or at least popularized as the name of OCD. By the late 1600s, many of the clergy had looked into this phenomenon and had written "self-help" books on overcoming OCD/scrupulosity.

By the 1700s, treatment of OCD had begun to give way to medical practitioners, signalling the start of when OCD would be classified as a mental disorder instead of the result of supernatural mischief. Phlebotomy was a common way drain the "bad thoughts" from a person. Between the 1700s to

They tend to make sure to check things twice, thrice and even more than your fingers can even count on their task. People with OCD have the constant urge to recheck multiple times till they get a satisfaction ensuring that the task is done. For example, locking and unlocking the door multiple times and also constantly rechecking the stove to make sure that the fire is off. People with OCD have the tendency to also make up rules or rituals that they follow. The result of not performing the routine would make them mad. For example, waking up and washing their hands five times before they have a bath or open and closing the room door 3 times before leaving the room. They often feel out of control by engaging in counting and strictly adhering to routines to make them feel in

Studies conducted over the past several years have shown that the lifetime prevalence of OCD in young people worldwide is approximately 1-2% (The percentage of individuals in a given statiscal population who at some time of their life suffers from OCD refers to the lifetime prevalence of it).A third half of all people who suffers from OCD began noticing obsessive traits during childhood and a fractional percentage as early as pre-school. The majority of individuals with OCD are found in females. Interestingly, in children the sex ratio is reversed, with more males than females. This seems to be because boys tend to develop OCD earlier. By mid-adolescence, the sex ratio is approximately equal before becoming predominantly female in adulthood. Age of onset ranges from childhood through the 30s, with a median age of onset of 19 than in females (at 20 to 24). Once OCD develops, it tends to be more chronic. In a OCD research, a firgure which is commony referred to is that at any one given point at time, OCD affects approximately 1 in 100