What is OCD and why might it be so difficult to treat? Answering this question might not be fully possible with current knowledge but this post offers some ideas. It must be pointed out that what follows is conjecture based on facts and doesn’t have an established evidence base. OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a condition that affects thinking, feeling and sensations. Those who suffer from OCD have recurrent and intrusive mental phenomena. As a result, there is a lot of distress and behaviors as well as actions arise to compensate for the aberration in mental phenomena.
OCD is painful. Recurrent and disturbing thinking, imagery, feelings and sensations overwhelm coping capacity and patients have no recourse except to act-out. While there are several models that attempt to explain why OCD arises and how it manifests, none completely explain the condition.
It is possible that OCD is a manifestation of altered wiring within the brain. The configuration of neurons and neuron networks largely translate to thinking and associated phenomena. When the brain is considered as a whole, there are a multitude of sub-configurations. The relationship between each such group with the others could be unusual in those with OCD. As a result, the effects on mental events can be both specific and global, making OCD very difficult to modify.
In attempting to clarify what is OCD and why might it be so difficult to treat, the notion that interconnections and circuitry are unusual could explain the pervasiveness of any symptoms. This is because the brain is essentially a network, and networking if affected manifests in the most resource intensive functions. This might be the reason why functions such as thinking and feeling are altered, and not say respiratory control or movements.
On the effective location of any such problem, rest the type and degree of mental activity influenced. Connections and circuitry within the brain are fluid and dynamic, hence the difficulty in localizing pathology and managing symptoms. However, research on OCD is proceeding at a rapid pace, and new possibilities are on the horizon.
If you would like to find out more, do talk to our psychiatrist.
