Thoughts From NCBHS

OCD is an anxiety disorder.  It is characterized by having obsessive thoughts and or compulsions. Obsessions can be persistent ideas, images, thoughts or impulses that cause great discomfort and excessive worry and anxiety. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that are in response to the obsessive thoughts.  These repetitive acts are done to relieve or prevent anxiety and severely affect someone’s ability to function on a daily basis.  Some symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:

 Excessive, uncontrollable, illogical fear or preoccupation with

1 in 4 school aged children have experienced a traumatic event. Childhood trauma is defined as a single event or prolonged exposure to traumatic experiences that overwhelm a child’s ability to cope. (National Child Trauma Stress Network, 2008.)

Anxiety is a signal our mind and body gives us that danger is near. That danger may come from internal or external sources. Often times stress and anxiety will be cumulative and will draw upon our personal and physical resources. Everybody has different levels of tolerance for different levels of stress and anxiety but excessive stress and anxiety can lead to lowered self-esteem and feelings of depression.

What comes to mind when you think of taking risks with your health – driving recklessly, or maybe abusing alcohol or illegal drugs? Those behaviors are very risky but many people have less dramatic behaviors that are just as dangerous in the long run. Tobacco use, unbalanced nutrition and a lack of physical activity are some of the key risk factors for the most common causes of death.

The top 10 causes of death include:

Statistics compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate that major depression affects over ten million people in the United States each year and that over a lifetime between 10 and 15 percent of people will experience at least one episode of major depression. In addition, research has shown that two out of three people who experience depression are women. However, this figure may not accurately reflect male and female depression because in our culture it is generally considered to be more acceptable for women to talk about their feelings and show emotions.