Counseling: Get Rid Of Addiction, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Addiction is a global issue that needs acknowledgment if we want to save ourselves from the disturbing consequences that comes with it. This problem is increasing with the passage of time and you will be surprised to know that there are various types of addictions that we do not even know about.
The real reason addiction is a major world wide issue is because people start to hide that they are addicted just to stay away from further negative comments and insults. AlertenSafe believes this creates hopelessness in the patient because they are not motivated to quit and live a healthy life. So, we should be aware of the problem, realize how serious it could be, and also need to know that how we can manage or help an addict person in getting rid of it as early as possible.
History of OCD
Most people know what OCD is, but they don't know the history behind it. OCD has changed a lot over time, especially with the new treatment methods that are available today. Individuals who suffered from this disorder in the past can vary greatly from those who suffer from it today. OCD didn't have its name back in the 14th and 15th centuries. There were simply people that had obsessions and compulsions that they could not control.
Most people believed that these were caused by supernatural forces, like the devil and demons. In time, new explanations for why people dealt with obsessions and compulsions came to light. Sufferers were known to have "scrupulosity", which meant that they dealt with an extreme anxiety that caused the disorder. While OCD might not have been called by this name, people still suffered from similar symptoms.
People who did have scrupulosity would go and see clergy members to heal them. Since so many people did deal with this, the clergy became very good with soothing the symptoms and books started to be written soon after. The earliest published account of OCD was written in 1436 by Margery Kempe. The treatment method during these times was obedience to a spiritual advisor. This was said to be the cure as long as individuals were dedicated in everything they did.
History of OCD in the 1600s
Once the 1600s hit, the medical side of this disorder started to come to light. Treatments were being challenged by those who were in the medical field. Physicians did not have a lot of tools to help treat their patients in the 1700 hundreds, so they tried a variety of different things. Some physicians even tried to treat patients by giving them laxatives and enemas, hoping they would be cured by cleansing their body. Some of the most common obsessions and compulsions in the 1700s and 1800s were: fear of syphilis, harming other people, compulsive washing and more. The number of symptoms continued to increase with each century.
History of OCD in the 1700s and 1800s
Once the 1700s were well under way, OCD sufferers were considered to be mentally ill. They were institutionalized so doctors were able to keep an eye on them and learn more about the illness. Most people were involuntary committed, even if they only showed one sign of obsession or compulsion. The institutions quickly became known as madhouses by those who were against them.
When the 19th century came around, doctors agreed that OCD was not insanity or even a form of it. This triggered the response of releasing people from asylums because they felt that patients could not benefit from them. Doctors were now interested in better classifying this illness so they could better help patients in the future and learn how to cure it. Since so many mental illnesses were becoming apparent, doctors needed to name them and learn more about how they work.
Classification of OCD
Since OCD still did not have a name, physicians would go by talking about obsessions and compulsions. The different symptoms of each of these were discussed by doctors from all over to help classify the cause. One of the most common treatments during this time was opium. In addition to this, morphine was also prescribed three times per day. Some doctors even recommended that their patients take low doses of arsenic. As the 18th century came to a close, doctors were realizing that the addictive properties of opium might outweigh the potential benefits. This meant that other treatments needed to be explored.
During the 20th century, Sigmund Freud and Pierre Janet explored this illness further to determine where it came from. This is when it became known as obsessive-compulsive disorder instead of simply obsessions and compulsions. As time grew this illness was researched and studied even more. The ideas that Freud came up with were taken over by new ideas.
More books were written, prescription medications, like Anafranil, were given and new drugs were developed. The media soon started taking notice of OCD, which is why it's become so widely recognized today. There are even charity foundations dedicated to helping sufferers find treatment options that work for them. Some people choose therapy, some read self-help books and others take medications prescribed by their physicians.
A common misconception is that people are only addicted to alcohol or drugs. But you will be surprised to know that sugar addiction is the most common issue in kids and teenagers. The best solution to this problem is spreading awareness and taking sessions of addiction therapy. We, at AlertenSafe, are here to help you with our expertise in the following ways.
What is addiction therapy ?
Addiction therapy is a type of psychological and medicinal treatment of something that is bothering you too much. It is disturbing you in a way that you do it again and again and after doing that you feel guilty about it. Some people call it even Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is addiction to something that you cannot stop thinking about using or doing.
The addiction therapy is done by our specialist therapist who have completed their degrees in this field. Although we all consider ourselves therapists at some point when we are giving your suggestions, that is not the actual therapy that can help someone.
For addictions that are serious like alcohol, sex, pornography, cigarette, etc you need professional help that is provided by the addiction therapists. So, when you feel that you are getting into some kind of addiction, rush to the doctors and discuss your problem. This is the most helpful thing that you can do for yourself because it helps in early diagnosis of the problem, then early consideration in the right way, and ultimately you get rid of it at early stage without the need for medicines and exercising. So, you can say that addiction therapy is helpful for addict individuals who fail to cope up with their problems by themselves.
How it treats different types of addictions in Singapore ?
According to the surveys conducted by our Alertensafe team, one in almost 5 people is suffering from one or another type of addiction. Well, this figure is quite alarming because the ratio is stretching with each passing day. The new type of addictions is introducing that is causing depression and anxiety in society. Given below are some of the addiction types that people face most of the time at present.
1. Drugs and rinks addiction are the topmost right now in the world which is affecting half of the addicts all over the world.
2. Social media and mobile addiction is another sign of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that is affecting the mental health of people by taking them into anxiety cycles which they cannot get out of easily.
3. The third most important type of addiction is gambling that is taking the youngsters by storm as it distracts them from the right path. They cannot study and focus on anything in their lives and then start taking other types o things that make them addicted to multiple things at the same time.
How addiction therapy can help in treatment?
Well, addiction therapy is the only way that can help in dealing and helping the addicted person for dealing with the problem. It is very simple to deal with addictions if the therapy is done in the right way. Those at the early stage would only need to have sitting sessions, while those at the later stages would need to have medicinal treatment and even exercising on regular basis. So, all you have to do being an addict is that you take care of yourself by reaching out to the therapist who is the only person who could help you out in this situation.
Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms
There are so many withdrawal symptoms of addiction that you can observe immediately when you are getting the addiction therapy. No matter if it is from sex, gambling, or drugs, you will feel similar symptoms almost in every case. So, let us see what are they actually.
1. At the very start, you start to start to feel ache in your head along with dizziness in your body. But slowly it fades away and you get normal in almost a month.
2. You might also start feeling chest tightness in some addiction cases and even to the point of feeling difficulty in breathing. It mostly happens during smoking cessation.
3. Palpitations and uneasy heartbeat may also be felt by many addicts when they are trying to stop taking in food or drinks of which they are addicts.
4. Nausea and stomach ache can also occur in any type of drug addiction therapy because the body is not accepting the change that you are treating it with. So, these symptoms will definitely appear.
5. You might also feel the tension in your muscles and uneasiness in the whole body when you are withdrawing from the addiction at the early stages of treatment.
No matter if a person is a workaholic, drinks too much alcohol, use social media all the time or maybe stick to mobile, are all suffering from addiction. Too much of anything is addiction and when it went to a point when it starts to bother your normal life and mental condition, you should know that you have become an addict. At this point, you would need to seek the help of a therapist that deals with addiction cases. If you do that at early stage, it is the best possible favor you could do for yourself, and to get rid of this problem without going into detailed medicinal treatment and other necessary sitting sessions.
AlertenSafe advocates on timely psychological treatment for everyone affected. For details read below: