QUESTION OF THE DAY

In Nigeria, I’ve noticed people hate going to hospitals and would rather wait till their ailment gets worse before they visit the hospital.

What do you think is the reason for this?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects children and adolescents as well as adults in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviours that make them feel driven to do something (compulsion).

These intrusive thoughts often produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear or worry; by repetitive behaviours aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.

Often the person carries out the behaviours to get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only provides temporary relief. Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is more common than was once thought. It affects both the young and the old – children, adolescents and adults.

There are several theories about the cause(s) of OCD, but none have been confirmed. Some reports have linked OCD to head injury and infections. Several studies have shown that there are brain abnormalities in patients with OCD. OCD has also been linked to above average intelligence because its sufferers often give high attention to detail, avoid risk, plan carefully, take time in making decisions and have a exaggerated sense of responsibility.

OCD has also been linked to Tourette syndrome due to the fact that about 20% of OCD patients have tics, however, this link is yet to be confirmed.

Obsessions and compulsions that are not due to medical illness or drug use, that cause major distress or interfere with everyday life have been pencilled down as the symptoms of OCD.

Some of these obsessions/compulsions include checking and rechecking actions (such as turning out the lights and locking the door), excessive counting, excessive fear of germs,the compulsion to repeatedly wash the hands to ward off infection.

Other symptoms of OCD include extreme hoarding; preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; relationship-related obsessions; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room.

These symptoms can be alienating and time-consuming, and often cause severe emotional and financial distress.

The person usually recognizes that the behaviour is excessive or unreasonable and may become further distressed by this realization.

Your own description of the behaviour can help diagnose the disorder. A physical exam can rule out physical causes, and a psychiatric evaluation can rule out other mental disorders.

Questionnaires, such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), can help diagnose OCD and track the progress of treatment.

OCD is treated using medications and therapy. The first medication usually considered is a type of anti-depressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). These drugs include: Citalopram (Celexa), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Paroxetine (Paxil), Sertraline (Zoloft)

If an SSRI does not work, the doctor may prescribe an older type of antidepressant called a tricyclic antidepressant. Clomipramine is a TCA, and is the oldest medication for OCD. It usually works better than SSRI antidepressants in treating the condition, but it can have unpleasant side effects, such as difficulty starting urination, drop in blood pressure when rising from a seated position, dry mouth, sleepiness.

In some cases, an SSRI and clomipramine may be combined. Other medications, such as low-dose atypical antipsychotics (including risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, or ziprasidone) have been shown to be helpful. Benzodiazepines may offer some relief from anxiety, but they are generally used only with the more reliable treatments.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be the most effective type of psychotherapy for this disorder. The patient is exposed many times to a situation that triggers the obsessive thoughts, and learns gradually to tolerate the anxiety and resist the urge to perform the compulsion. Medication and CBT together are considered to be better than either treatment alone at reducing symptoms.

Psychotherapy can also be used to provide effective ways of reducing stress, reduce anxiety, resolve inner conflicts.

OCD is a long-term (chronic) illness with periods of severe symptoms followed by times of improvement. However, a completely symptom-free period is unusual. Most people improve with treatment.

Long-term complications of OCD have to do with the type of obsessions or compulsions. For example, constant handwashing can cause skin breakdown. However, OCD does not usually progress into another disease.

There is no known prevention for this disorder.

DID YOU KNOW

Sunderland shot stopper, Steve Mignolet speaks five languages-German, Dutch, English, French and has a degree in Politics from University of Leuven.

There exists an ATM machine that gives out gold bars instead of notes in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Marlboro was originally launched as a woman’s cigarette in 1924.

Mozart wrote a piano piece that required the player to use both the hands and nose.

The farther back you sit on an airplane, the better odds of survival in the event of a crash. Passengers near the tail of a plane are about 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those in the first few rows up front.

Mauricio Pochettino replaces Nigel Adkins at Southampton. Becomes only 2nd Argentine manager in the Premier League (after Ossie Ardiles).

Uruguay striker, Sebastian Abreu was the last player to score a Panenka-style penalty at the FIFA World Cup when he scored the penalty that took his country to the Semi-finals of the World in 2010 at the expense of Ghana.

Pep Guardiola has signed a pre-contract agreement to take over the reins at Bayern Munchen at the end of the season. He is 1st Spaniard to become Bundesliga head coach and he is reported to become highest earning coach in football (17 mln annual income).

At the ongoing Australian Open, Maria Sharapova became the 3rd woman to record successive double bagels in Grand Slam tournament and 1st since 1985.

Zimbabwe’s Peter Ndlovu was the first African to play in the English Premier League when he donned the colours of Coventry City in 1992.

Frank Lampard scored his 194th career goal for Chelsea against Stoke City last weekend, moving ahead of Dixon to become the club’s 2nd all-time top scorer. (Tambling, 202).

John Walters Walters became the 3rd player in EPL history to score 2 own goals in a single match – after Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher and Sunderland’s David Proctor.

Robin Van Persie won his 4th Player of the Month award last December. Record is 5 by Rooney and Gerrard.

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for the fourth straight year! Barcelona now have equalled the record of Juventus as club to have winner of Ballon d’Or 4 years in a row.

The four players to score a hat-trick (3 or more) as a substitute in the Premier League era are Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Robert Earnshaw, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor.

A study suggests that on average 8.2 seconds of eye contact is required for “Love at first sight ” to happen.

In 2012, boxer Floyd Mayweather had only two fights, totalling less than one hour in the ring and earned $85 million.

Justin Timberlake was the voice behind McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It!” — He was paid $6 million for this song.

Orange juice tastes bad after brushing because toothpaste blocks sweet taste receptors due to a foaming agent that changes the permeability of your tongue cells.

In Japan 75% of men get monthly pocket money from their wives.

MUSIC TRIVIA

I believe you all know how the game works. For the newbies, the game works this way: I write out the lyrics of a song and you give me the name(s) of the artiste(s) and title of the song.

If you answer 7-10 questions correctly, you are a music zealot.
If you answer 4-6 questions correctly, you just like music.
If you answer less than 4 questions correctly, you suck.

Bonne Chance/good luck.

Ok..here we go!

“Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck. Some nights I call it a draw. Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle. Some nights I wish they’d just fall off but I still wake up, I still see your ghost. Oh, Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for oh. What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights I don’t know anymore…”

“…She got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson”

“Maybe this decision was a mistake. You probably don’t care what I have to say but it’s been heavy on my mind for months now. Guess I’m trying to clear some mental space. I would love to talk to you in person but I understand why that can’t be. I’ll leave you alone for good I promise if you answer this one question for me.”

“Shebi I been beg you, you no wan gree, you saw me talking to Tolany so you tok sey I no be human being,sey you no wan be”

“But trust me, I still deliver like a midwife and no, I’m not sayin’ I’m the nicest, I just live like it. Uh, it take a certain type of man to teach, to be far from hood, but to understand the streets. I never threw away that paper with my Grammy speech because I haven’t hit the pinnacles I plan to reach. Yeah, you gotta own it if you want it”

“And the way you move make me want to sit down. Hey! I wanna call you Carolina and the way you go down low, baby you go,you don’t tell me to sit down. Hey! I know you no mean am”

“Hey sexy lady, I want u in my life and I want you to be my wife, baby girl just you and I. Oh my baby! You too fine oh. You dey make me dey lose my mind. This feeling is killing inside, wanna see you everyday of my life. I’ve travelled to the East, to the North, to the West, I’ve never seen a girl like you. You too fine, you gats be my boo, Baby girl just you and I. Fine fine girls don come my way, still never seen a girl like you.”

“Shorty wanted to tell me secrets about a rap nigga, I told that bitch it’s more attractive when you hold it down. Kobe about to lose a hundred fifty M’s. Kobe my nigga I hate it had to be him. Bitch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym (huh!? bitch you weren’t with me shooting in the gym)”

“I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time, know there was something that, meant something that I left behind. When I leave this world, I’ll leave no regrets,leave something to remember, so they won’t forget”

“I can’t stay on your life support,there’s a shortage in the switch,I can’t stay on your morphine,’cause it’s making me itch. I said I tried to call the nurse again but she’s being a little bitch,I think I’ll get outta here, where I can run just as fast as I can to the middle of nowhere, to the middle of my frustrated fears and I swear you’re just like a pill. Instead of makin’ me better,you keep makin’ me ill”

The name(s) of the winner(s) will be published here same time tomorrow.