OCD

Behavioural -

• Compulsions - Actions that are carried out repeatedly,e.g. handwashing. The same behaviour is repeated in a ritualistic way to reduce anxiety.
• Avoidance - The OCD is managed by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety,e.g. sufferers who wash repeatedly may avoid coming into contact with germs.

Emotional -

• Anxiety and distress - Obsessive thoughts are unpleasant thoughts and frightening, and the anxiety that goes with these can be overwhelming.
• Guilt and disgust - Irrational guilt, for example over a minor moral issue, or disgust which is directed towards oneself or something external like dirt.

Cognitive -

• Obsessive thoughts- About 90% of OCD sufferers have obsessive thoughts,e.g. recurring intrusive thought about being contaminated by dirt or germs.
• Insight into excessive anxiety - Awareness that thoughts and behaviour are irrational. In spite of this, sufferers experience phobic thought and are hypervigilant,i.e. 'over-aware' of their obsession

Candidate genes

e.g. 5HT1 - D beta gene implicated in OCD. Research has now identified a vulnerability for OCD  called candidate genes.

• Serotonin genes like the example of 5HT1-D beta gene are implicated in the transmission of serotonin across synapses
• Dopamine genes are also implicated in OCD

OCD is polygenic

• ocd is not caused by on single genes this was found out by Taylor in 2013, there are many genes implicated in OCD. Up to 230.

Different types of OCD

• one group of genes in a person may cause a different OCD is another person. this is known as aetiologically heterogeneous 
• There is also evidence that different types of OCD may be the result of genetic variations. Such as hoarding or religious obsession. 

There is good supporting evidence for the genetic explanation of OCD.

there is evidence from a variety of different socurces which suggets that sime people are vulnerable to OCD as a result of their genetic makeup. For example Nestadt et al 2010 reviewed twin studies and found that 68% of MZ twins share the same OCD as opposed to DZ twins which is only 31%. This strongly supports a gentic inluence on OCD