How can the biological approach explain OCD?

How can the biological approach explain OCD?

Biological Theories Biological causes of OCD study the circuit relay system between the orbitofrontal cortex, which is responsible for complex behaviors such as emotion regulation, evaluation, reward-based decision-making, and other goal-directed behavior, to the thalamus.

Is OCD learned or biological?

Psychological Theories For example, according to the Learning Theory, OCD symptoms are a result of a person developing learned negative thoughts and behaviour patterns, towards previously neutral situations which can result from life experiences.

What is the genetic explanation of OCD?

Variations in certain genes that provide instructions for proteins that react to or transport serotonin have been associated with an increased risk of OCD. Variations in other genes involved in communication in the brain may also be associated with the condition.

What is the root cause of OCD?

OCD is due to genetic and hereditary factors. Chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain are the cause. Distorted beliefs reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.

What medication is taken for OCD?

Antidepressants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OCD include:

• Clomipramine (Anafranil) for adults and children 10 years and older.
• Fluoxetine (Prozac) for adults and children 7 years and older.
• Fluvoxamine for adults and children 8 years and older.
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) for adults only.

How do psychologists treat OCD?

The psychotherapy of choice for the treatment of OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP), which is a form of CBT. In ERP therapy, people who have OCD are placed in situations where they are gradually exposed to their obsessions and asked not to perform the compulsions that usually ease their anxiety and distress.

Are you born with OCD?

However, while there are some genetic underpinnings that can contribute to a person developing OCD, the causes of OCD are typically a combination of genetic and environmental factors — meaning that both your biology and the circumstances you live in have an effect on OCD development.

Is OCD very common?

How Many Adults Have OCD? Our best estimates are that about 1 in 100 adults — or between 2 to 3 million adults in the United States — currently have OCD. This is roughly the same number of people living in the city of Houston, Texas.

What is best treatment for OCD?

More specifically, the most effective treatments are a type of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which has the strongest evidence supporting its use in the treatment of OCD, and/or a class of medications called serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SRIs.