OCD Disorder Causes – Two Factions… Which Is Right?

There are two schools of thought regarding OCD disorder causes. One side believes that OCD is a psychological disorder. This side claims that OCD disorder causes include:

• A person's belief that he/she is fully responsible for the obsessive thought and the consequences related to it
• An exaggerated belief in this responsibility leading to heightened anxiety
• Anxiety making the obsessive thought stick to the person's mind even more
• Trying to deal with the obsession by giving in to a compulsion, which the person thinks will manage or avert some consequence

On the other hand, the opposing side believes that OCD is a physiological disorder. They claim that the OCD disorder causes are purely physical abnormalities or disturbances in the person's brain.

Due to recent studies showing a marked difference in the brain activity of OCD sufferers, many scientists now believe that OCD disorder causes are indeed physiological rather than psychological.

However, this raises the question: If OCD disorder causes are really physiological, why are the most effective long term treatments for OCD behavioral and cognitive? (Rather than pharmacological, that is, using drugs, a therapy that offers only short term results!)

This is the reason why more statistical research is needed and why the number of NON-pharmacological treatment advocates grows by the day.

OCD Disorder Causes – Environmental Stressors

There are also many scientists who staunchly refuse to commit to either school of thought regarding OCD disorder causes. This group of doctors and therapists prefer to treat OCD using as many approaches as they can for as long as a patient responds.

To implement a multi-school approach, this faction finds is useful to recognize that OCD disorder causes may also have their root in environmental stressors.

Of course, whether these environmental stressors trigger abnormal brain activity or if their effect is confined to the psychological realm is something researchers still have to fully determine.

Be that as it may, therapists have documented how major changes in the lives of their patients have been known to trigger OCD. At times, environmental stressors have been known to worsen already existing symptoms of OCD.

Examples of environmental stressors are:

• Having a newborn
• Abuse (e.g., sexual abuse, substance abuse)
• Changes in relationships (e.g., divorce)
• Work-related problems (e.g., getting fired, workplace pressures)
• Problems at school (e.g., peer pressure, difficulty fitting in)
• Moving house (e.g., transfers to a different neighborhood or out of state)
• Death of a child or loved one
• Financial problems (e.g., mounting debts, bankruptcy)
• Illness (e.g., other anxiety disorders)