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Another Stress-Induced Illness?

If you know anyone who suffers from the effects of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) know their life is anything but normal. The disorder involves obsessive recurring thoughts that result in compulsive habitual actions to try to alleviate the obsessive recurring thoughts.

• Fear of contamination through contact with other people’s germs
• Fear of disorder, so everything must always be in the same place
• Fear of inflicting some type of harmful behavior on yourself or others
• Superstitious thoughts or fears

Common compulsive behaviors include:

• Frequent handwashing
• Compulsive cleaning and tidying up
• Counting systems, such as locking and unlocking the door a certain number of times
• Double and triple checking of things (i.e., that the iron or coffee pot is turned off)

OCD is characterized as a medical disorder, having to do with the production of a chemical called serotonin in the brain. Certain types of stress can seem to trigger the condition, including becoming a mother for the first time, a change in residence, major life transformations such as marriage or divorce, problems in school or with a job or any stressful event.

However, some think OCD may be genetically transmitted and may be caused by certain types of illness as well. Strep infections are thought to trigger the onset of OCD in children.

There are non-drug treatments for OCD that include exercise, massage therapy, proper diet and nutrition, and relaxation techniques to relieve the anxiety associated with OCD.

Chiropractic care has been known to help some people with anxiety-type disorders, such as OCD, because it focuses on the integrity of the nervous system and how it operates through the brain–body connection. And while chiropractic isn’t a treatment for OCD, a more normally functioning nervous system can help anyone, regardless of their specific health complaint.