Author: Morsaline Mozahid

A pregnancy is an exciting new chapter in life. Parents begin to decide on a name, plan a baby shower, and think about the future in store. It seems as if everything is perfect. Parents may feel like they are on cloud nine, waiting patiently until the baby is born. However, the perfect fantasy described is not always a reality. According to Baby Buddy, an evidence-based and National Health Service approved pregnancy tool, “Two out of 10 women experience mental health problems during or after pregnancy.” One example of a mental health problem women face is maternal obsessive compulsive disorder. 

Maternal OCD is when OCD is developed during or after the stages of pregnancy. During Maternal OCD, women or men develop intrusive thoughts towards their child that are categorized into two subgroups of violence or sex. These thoughts can be imaginations like hurting the child with a knife. Due to these notions, parents obsessively check on the baby even though they know the baby is fine. For parents, it may be hard to open up and find resources that will help them cope with maternal OCD due to the stigma behind the intrusive thoughts that are developed. However, it is important to remember that many other parents experience maternal OCD. You’re a valiant survivor doing your best in difficult circumstances and deserve all the help you can get for yourself (Baby Buddy).

Jenny is a mother who has recovered from maternal OCD. During her pregnancy, Jenny felt everything was going perfectly. Even throughout the delivery process and the first two days after the baby was born, she was in a complete state of happiness. After two days with the baby, Jenny had to get a minor surgery, leaving the new born baby with the father. Jenny was stationed overnight at the hospital to recover from the surgery. That was when her intrusive thoughts began; on her first night, she imagined her daughter in a bloody carriage. 

When Jenny came home, her Maternal OCD worsened. She continued to have more intense intrusive thoughts about the objects in her home. When she saw knives, she thought about how the knives could hurt her child. When she saw negativity in the media, she imagined those things happening to her daughter. These thoughts completely disrupted Jenny’s daily life; she developed anxiety and found herself unable to eat, cook, or perform her daily activities. The more she tried to get rid of her thoughts, the more intense they would come back. She began to question her integrity and her likelihood of being a good mother. 

Later on, Jenny realized that her new intrusive thoughts did not reflect her prior self and began to seek help for her mental illness. Jenny reached out to her doctor, who had initially recommended group therapy because the physician believed Jenny was suffering from mood swings. Group therapy was ineffective for Jenny, as her intrusive thoughts remained. At this point, Jenny did some research on her own and suggested she may be suffering from Maternal OCD. The doctor was then able to refer her to a specialist who was knowledgeable in treating maternal OCD. When Jenny met her new therapist, she practiced exposure response therapy, which encourages patients to face their fears. In Jenny’s case, she was afraid that knives could be used to hurt her child. Jenny had to have a knife beside her at all times while she was with her child so she could lose her fear. This was no easy task for Jenny, and it took hard work and persistence. She has now recovered from maternal OCD and wants to have a second child. 

In Jenny’s case, her Maternal OCD appeared like a switch; with others, it can develop gradually. Patients who are beginning to go through maternal OCD should recognize that their newly developed intrusive thoughts do not define who they are. That is the first step in being able to have the courage to find help for maternal OCD.  Diagnosing Maternal OCD can be difficult since it can be confused with other mental health problems. Jenny used exposure response therapy to help treat her maternal OCD, but there are many more treatments. It is not a one-size-fit-all situation. If your prescriptions do not lead to wanted results, inform your doctor quickly to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. 

References

Beginnings, B. (Director). (2020, June 13). Maternal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [Video file]. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMZ9-h2ogA

Clinic, M. (2019, May 11). Symptoms of pregnancy: What happens first. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/symptoms-of-pregnancy/art-20043853

Often, movies depict only one form of (OCD) in films, where characters have habitual rituals like constantly washing their hands before doing a task. For example, Felix Unger, a character from the film “The Odd Couple” (1968), shows indications of OCD in the film where he is constantly cleaning surfaces in the house. Another example is Roy Waller from “Matchstick Men” (2003), who is shown to have OCD cleanliness where he constantly cleans his carpet and wardrobe (Cantrell, 2011). Mainstream media has predominantly characterized OCD as a physical obsessive and compulsive disorder over the years, neglecting disorders such as Pure O OCD. Pure O OCD, scientifically known as non-observable visualization, is a form of OCD where instead of having an uncontrollable physical habitual routine, a person has uncontrollable intrusive thoughts.

There is no definitive reason why people have OCD or Pure O OCD, but there are many theories that try to explain them. OCD can develop from environmental factors. For instance, someone may have set something on the stove on fire. This experience may traumatize and scare the person, causing repetitive thoughts such as, “Did I really turn off the stove?” leading the person to check if the stove is turned off multiple times a day. The excessive behavior of checking the stove multiple times may serve as a coping mechanism to reduce anxiety and fear from the repetitive thoughts. Moreover, neuroimaging has demonstrated there are communication errors that occur in the brain of OCD patients (BeyondOCD). These errors occur in the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, and thalamus parts of the brain responsible for decision making and developing emotions. When someone has random intrusive thoughts, the brain identifies the thought as threatening, leading the person to continually repeat certain behaviors to avoid the threat. In addition, the National Institutes of Health compared DNA samples of parents diagnosed with OCD to that of their offspring. It showed that OCD can be passed on from a parent to offspring; the offspring having a 25% chance of developing the disorder. 

On the other hand, Pure O OCD is thought to be developed differently. Dr. Steven Phillipson, an expert clinical psychologist who discovered Pure O OCD says, “The cause of Pure O OCD is caused by a malfunction in a brain part called the amygdala.” The amygdala is located in the back of the brain and is responsible for basic functions like sleeping and telling the body if it is in danger. The malfunction that occurs is the amygdala sends a sense of terror to intrusive thoughts. The intrusive thoughts that occur are categorized into 3 different subtypes: violence, sex, and religion. An example of a violent intrusive thought is seeing a person on a subway ledge and having the thought of pushing them. Everyone can have intrusive thoughts and forget about them, but someone who has Pure O OCD keeps replaying the intrusive thought repeatedly in their mind, causing them terror. People with Pure O OCD begin to question their state of mind and their personality and lose a sense of self due to the repetitive intrusive thoughts that occur in the mind. 

Luckily there are therapy methods for both OCD and Pure O OCD that may help patients. Exposure response therapy is effective in helping patients face their OCD and Pure O OCD without being afraid. Exposure response therapy teaches patients to purposely think of the thoughts they are afraid of. This is done in order to help patients be prepared to face their intrusive thoughts when they occur. In exposure response  therapy, therapists take small approaches in helping a patient face their fear to not mentally exhaust them. Patients on their own can practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of meditation where people try to understand their thoughts are just thoughts that don’t dictate who they are. Going to OCD groups and observing and talking about the problems other people face can motivate people to recover as well (Hoffman).

References

Cantrell, W. (2011, January 11). Top 10 O.C.D. Movie Characters. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from http://www.scene-stealers.com/top-10s/top-10-o-c-d-movie-characters/

Hoffman, J. (2016). Characterizing Pure O. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.madeofmillions.com/articles/characterizing-pure-o

OCD.org, B. (2018, March 30). What Causes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://beyondocd.org/ocd-facts/what-causes-ocd

OfMillions, M. (2016, March 15). OCD3: Dr. Phillipson Talks Science, Symptoms & Treatment of OCD. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=113

Have you heard of a fidget spinner? A fidget spinner is a toy consisting of a ball barrel and structures that surround the barrel. These structures revolve around the ball barrel in 360-degree rotations both clockwise and counterclockwise with the flick of a finger. These toys come in many different forms and designs, becoming wildly popular within the United States and worldwide in early 2017. So why did such a simple toy become a worldwide sensation?  According to Edmund Salitbus, a fidget spinner collector located in Brooklyn, NY, “There was a great deal of hype that surrounded the toy, everyone wanted one, there were so many options to choose from, and people used the toy as coping mechanisms for attention disorders like ADHD and OCD.” Edmund’s statement raised another question: are toys that have the ability to treat symptoms associated with obsessive compulsions disorders (OCD) a better alternative to treating OCD compared to modern-day medical treatments? 

It is first important to acknowledge what OCD is, the symptoms associated with OCD, and modern-day medical treatments for the mental illness. Two words that generalize the definition and symptoms for OCD is obsession and compulsion (National Institute of Mental Health). Obsessions consist of repetitive thoughts and compulsions consist of repetitive behaviors. Current modern-day treatments for OCD are psychotherapy and prescription medication. There are different forms of psychotherapy used to treat OCD. One form of psychotherapy is behavioral therapy where therapists continuously help their patients face what they fear most. This repetitive exposure is to help patients face their obsessions and compulsions until they are no longer troubled by them. Another form of psychotherapy is cognitive therapy, where patients are taught to recognize their obsessions and compulsions and then think of positive alternatives that are less psychologically threatening (Kelly, 2020). 

A combination of psychotherapy and prescription medication can go a long way in treating OCD. However, these methods have some drawbacks. The cost of a therapist and prescription drugs is expensive. In 2017 the “United Census Bureau” reported, 7.9% of Americans were medically uninsured, the number rising to 8.5% in 2018. In addition, many insurance companies do not cover expenses to see a therapist unless it is a matter of life and death. This leaves people having to pay for their own treatments for OCD. Furthermore, a study done by students from the University of Rochester has shown that in order for psychotherapy to work effectively, a patient must be motivated. This raises a problem since during psychotherapy patients have to go through tough mental experiences. These experiences can lead patients to give up on therapy. 

On the other hand, toys are not expensive and people who suffer from OCD are not usually faced with difficult circumstances that make them shy away from toys. How exactly do toys help people cope with OCD? Simply put, toys help people avoid obsessions and compulsions by allowing the person to focus on something else. However, this is not the best form of treatment because toys help people avoid the problem they are facing, modern-day medical treatments work on tackling the obsessions and compulsions people face. Toys may serve as a temporary comfort, but they fail to resolve the problem in the long term.  Dr. Trelles, a psychiatrist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City says, “Devices should be used in conjunction with these things because only using a toy to cure your anxiety isn’t going to get you where you need to be.” Toys alone may not entirely help people cope with OCD, and might be more effective if used in conjunction with other treatments. 

References 

Bureau, U. (2019, November 08). Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2019/demo/p60-267.html

Julia Naftulin May 08, & Naftulin, J. (2017, May 08). Can Fidget Spinners Really Help Anxiety and ADHD? An Expert Weighs In. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.health.com/condition/adhd/fidget-spinners-anxiety-adhd-autism

National Institute Of Mental Health, N. (2019, October). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml

Owen Kelly, P. (2020, April 24). Psychological Therapy for OCD. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/psychological-therapy-for-ocd-2510628

Richard M. Ryan, M. (2010, February 10). Motivation and Autonomy in Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Behavior Change: A Look at Theory and Practice 1ψ7 – Richard M. Ryan, Martin F. Lynch, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Edward L. Deci, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0011000009359313