Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD is a psychological disorder in which a person spends an unusual amount of time doing things such as washing your hands or counting your heart beat. Patients who suffer from anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, are aware that they have a psychological problem that leads them to think and behave irrationally in particular circumstances. In all other respects their intellectual abilities and ability to reason are unimpaired. Most sufferers are able to function at least moderately well: they are able to work, maintain family and other major mental illnesses, psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, suffer from numerous and chronic impairments. Many of them have limited insight into what …show more content…
Poor concentration is common, usually as a result of being distracted by upsetting and intrusive thoughts (obsessions). Compulsive behaviors can also interfere with school work. For example, a child with contamination fears may feel compelled to leave the classroom to perform washing rituals if he/she has dropped his/her pen on the floor. Repeating rituals, such as re-reading and re-writing can be particularly impairing as the young person may spend a long time going over his/her work, slowing him/her down dramatically and, in the case of rewriting, it can lead to illegible work. OCD can also cause the child to become avoidant of situations at school that may provoke intrusive thoughts, for example, avoiding areas that they believe to be contaminated (e.g. school toilets) or lessons that they may perceive as ‘dangerous’. A child with obsessional worries about being punished by ‘God’ may find religious education lessons particularly anxiety provoking and may therefore attempt to avoid them. Similarly, a young person who fears being poisoned may avoid any contact with science laboratories given the potential for chemicals to be nearby. In severe cases, a young person with OCD may struggle to leave the house and may be unable to attend school