JUST SAYING

ME + FOOD = TOXIC(Bulimia Nervosa)

“It all started as a sick joke on social media about how food is my boo then before I knew it I had slipped into a very unsettling habit. It started with constantly eating my favorite slice of red velvet cake, an extra slice when I was trying to block out any thoughts. My parents didn’t make it easier, they made insensitive comments about how I had gained weight and made it unbearable because anytime I would snack, they would make disheartening comments about how fat I had become and how I would never lose weight. That resulted to me secretly eating large amounts of junk food all in one sitting. After satisfying the insatiable urge to eat, I would feel guilty and work out excessively trying to get rid of the extra weight” My friend opened up to me about her struggle with Bulimia Nervosa and I realized how important it is for the general public to know more about this eating disorder.

Bingeing and purging is what separates Bulimia from binge eating disorders.

Bulimia Nervosa is a psychological eating disorder that is potentially life threatening as it involves secretly bingeing and purging in order to get rid of the extra calories. The patient eats large amounts of food in one sitting and lack control which result to overeating. They use unhealthy means to purge like, inducing vomiting or misusing laxatives, using weight loss supplements, diuretics or enemas, excessive fasting and working out, and strict dieting. The patient is preoccupied with body weight and body shape. They tend to judge themselves harshly for self-perceived flaws. Bulimia is hard to overcome because it’s not only about food but self-image as well. The symptoms are fear of gaining weight, episodes of eating large amounts of food in one sitting, forceful vomiting and excessive exercising, fasting and resisting certain foods in the name of calorie control, preoccupation with body shape and weight, use of dietary supplements, laxatives, diuretics, enemas and herbal products. It affects people of any race, gender, ethnicity, age and body type.

Eating food in secret is one major sign of Bulimia Nervosa.

The causes and risk factors are genetics, emotional health which involves issues like depression or stress, societal expectations, excessive dieting may trigger the eating disorder, traumatic events where food becomes an escapade and substance use disorders cause Bulimia Nervosa. Complications that are associated with this eating disorder include negative self-esteem, dehydration that could lead to kidney failure, heart problems like irregular heartbeat or heart failure, severe tooth decay or gum disease, absent or irregular periods in women, digestive issues like stomach ulcers, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, substance abuse and self injury or suicidal thoughts. Bulimia is treated through cognitive behavioral disorder, family based treatment whereby your family is involved in therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and nutritional therapy.

Parents should discourage their children from fad dieting.

Bulimia Nervosa can be prevented whilst still at it’s core. Parents should ensure that they have meals at regular times, they should avoid talking about weight but emphasize more on healthy habits, promote healthy realistic body image to their kids and discourage dieting. Patients who have anxiety disorders should receive treatment first in order to progress with the healing process. For people suffering from Bulimia Nervosa, you should look after your body by exercising more often, connect with others and talk more about what you’re going through with family and close friends, and avoid any triggers that will set you back from any progress you’ve made. You can overcome this once you get the right treatment and take care of yourself. Quick recovery. You’ve got this!

Ps. Just Saying.

THE MORE THE DRAMA!(Histrionic Personality Disorder)

In our lifetimes, we come across certain peculiar personalities who woo us with how narcissistic they are. Well, if you haven’t I am pretty sure that you have come across such characters in a movie perhaps or a novel. That dramatic and theatrical character who expects everything to revolve around them and things to go their way. They mostly walk with a crowd and often seek people’s approval in order for them to feel fulfilled. Mostly it’s the antagonist in the story, their behavior might give you the “ick” feeling. In another case, you could be so wrapped up in yourself and not realize it. Your friends and family don’t know how to approach you or they can already preempt your reaction because you’re the epitome of drama. News flash! You might be suffering from Histrionic Personality Disorder which is rare and affects about 1% of the population according to researchers.

Patients with histrionic personality disorder are dramatic and theatrical.

Histrionic Personality Disorder is a mental health condition in which the patient has unstable emotions and a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed. Patients of this disorder tend to be dramatic to get attraction. They are caught up in this bubble where they assume that everything should be about them. In most cases, their self esteem solely depends on other’s approval. The signs and symptoms include; the desire to be the center of attraction, shallow emotions, overly dramatic and embarrass those closest to them, persistently flirtatious and charming even with strangers, are overly concerned with appearance, they are gullible and easily influenced, have a difficult time maintaining relationships and only form fake and shallow ones, and they are constantly seeking reassurance and approval from others.

Patients of Histrionic personality disorder want to be the center of attention.

Histrionic Personality Disorder is caused by genetics. It can be inherited if a family member suffered from this disorder. Another cause is childhood trauma like child abuse or death of a loved. The parenting style also contribute. The disorder can be diagnosed in adulthood but if you focus on the symptoms, it’s easy to identify a patient. Some complications associated with this disorder are; somatic symptom disorder in which the individual has excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors relating to the physical symptoms, panic attacks and conversion disorders. There are various treatments for this disorder which include; group therapy, psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, supportive psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. It’s not just in your nature to be overly dramatic. Do something about it and enjoy being a regular person, setting aside the drama and theatrics. Welcome to the mundane side of life. Trust the process!

Ps. Just Saying.

MORE IN ONE!(Dissociative Identity Disorder)

We all live in our confined little spaces ignoring the rest of the world because why should we care when we are not being affected. Well, that’s fair enough but what happens when we are at the center of it all. Recently, I watched a Netflix series known as ‘Ratched’ that had a black woman; Charlotte Wells who experienced bizarre episodes. She kept switching her personalities and I was astonished thinking to myself, “Wow! What a creative piece of art,” except it’s not just art. Being a curious little lad, I looked into it and turns out it’s an actual mental condition that’s rare but still affects people. According to researchers, it affects up to 1% of the population and women are more susceptible to Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental health condition in which the patient has two or more separate identities.

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental condition in which the patient has two or more separate identities. It is also known as Multiple Personality Disorder DID causes gaps in memory and also causes hallucinations in order for the victim to fully explore their alternate personality. The causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder are; sexual or physical abuse during early childhood, response to traumatic events like war or natural disasters and an escapade to detach from trauma. The signs and symptoms of DID include; anxiety, delusions, substance abuse, depression, disorientation, violent behavior, memory loss, suicidal thoughts and even self harm.

DID can lead to self harm and suicidal thoughts.

Dissociative Identity Disorder has no test to diagnose it but the signs start showing in early childhood from 5 to 10 years. It becomes more evident in adulthood and that’s when a psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose a patient with the disorder. DID can be treated through psychotherapy with a certified psychologist or psychiatrist whether on an individual level, group therapy or family therapy. Hypnotherapy is also used to restore the gaps in their memories through hypnosis. Unfortunately, DID has no cure and cannot be prevented but what patients with DID need is a strong support system to help them deal with it. If you have a family member or friend suffering from the same, you can join support groups for people with DID as it’ll help you learn how to deal with a patient with DID. Quick reminder; don’t forget to watch ‘Ratched’ on Netflix to get the full on experience. Hasta pronto!

Ps. Just Saying.

STARTING WRONG!(Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder)

On many occasions, in order for things to end up wrong, they start wrong. We all grow up in different ways and we can all agree that our upbringing plays a huge part in who we turn out to be as we grow. An acquaintance of mine always complained about how she couldn’t make any meaningful connections with anyone despite her many attempts. She barely talked about her childhood, I guess it was her way to escape her trauma-filled past. To top it all off, she has attachment issues. Sometimes she gets too attached, sometimes she repels attachment. As I was looking at philophobia, I came across an interesting attachment disorder that reminded me of her situation and this prompted me to share this with everyone who might be going through the same.

No meaningful connections in relationships while having Disinhibited Social Engagement disorder.

Disinhibited Social Engagement disorder is an attachment disorder that makes it difficult to form deep meaningful connections with people around them. It is a behavioral disorder that develops in young children and children tend to have a hard time forming connections with others. There are two attachment disorders, the latter being Reactive Attachment Disorder which is characterized by difficulty to have an emotional attachment with guardians, parents, and others around them. They tend to fear interactions and have trouble managing and expressing feelings. The symptoms are; intense excitement or lack o inhibition over meeting and interacting with strangers, overly friendly and talkative around strangers, willingness to leave a safe space with strangers without the desire to check in with a trusted adult prior to leaving, and behaving in a socially unacceptable manner.

Not paying attention to your child while growing up might lead to this disorder.

The causes of DSED are; the absence of parents when growing up, lack of love, care, and emotional support while growing up, neglect or abandonment by parents or guardians, constant change of caregivers, and negative childhood experiences like sexual abuse, and growing up in foster care or orphanages. These things experienced during childhood trigger attachment disorder and affect how we relate with others. However, there’s a ray of sunshine. DSED can be treated through talk therapy whether in a group or on an individual level. In cases where it’s applicable, the family of the victim should also join the talk therapy. Play therapy with toys and games for children has proven to be effective. Art therapy helps to overcome Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder.

Parents should ensure their kids grow up feeling loved and cared for.

If you are out there and you feel as if something is wrong with you because you can’t seem to form meaningful connections, you should take your time to reflect on your childhood. Seeing a therapist will help you identify the root cause. Maybe, just maybe you are not solely to blame for your fear of interaction and hard time forming meaningful connections. You should give yourself a chance to lead an almost normal life while making connections with people closest to you because no human is meant to be an Island. Parents should keep a keen eye on their kids and ensure that they grow up feeling loved, understood ad cared for. Just like I said at the beginning, “things don’t go wrong, they start wrong”. We all deserve a shot at being happy and a shot at having healthy relationships whether romantic, filial, or platonic. Here’s to forming deep meaningful connections and healthy relationships. Ching!

Ps. Just Saying.

NO, THANK YOU!( Philophobia )

Many at times, we tend to dismiss the tinniest issues that surround us. Well, here is something interesting that might capture your attention and maybe, just maybe, some of you may relate to what I am about to share. When we talk about love, it’s straightforward. A feeling towards someone or something that makes you feel happy inside. It was initially intended that love should be for everyone but we are living on earth so some of these rules are meant to be broken. We all love the idea of love, the idea of being loved but what happens if the thought of love or being loved brings nothing but pain from previous betrayals and it makes you repulse love. That brings us to the topic of discussion today; Philophobia – the fear of love.

Philophobia is the fear of love which negatively affects the ability to make meaningful connections and relationships with people. It is characterized by the intense fear of matters related to love. Let’s break it down a bit; philos is Greek for love or beloved while phobos means fear. Someone may experience philophobia due to previous difficult relationships, fear of rejection or abandonment, cultural or religious pressures and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder. DSED is a disorder that develops in a child who grows up in an environment where they don’t feel loved or attention from their parent or they feel like they have to seek validation from people that they love. The children end up connecting better with strangers than their own families. The symptoms are extreme anxiety in relationships or see relationships ending, unable to maintain intimate relationships, afraid of a partner or feeling any emotion and pushing people away and breaking relationships abruptly.

Previous difficult relationships may lead to philophobia.

People who suffer from philophobia may experience the following bizarre symptoms when they fall in love; dizziness, dry mouth, extreme feeling of dread or terror, nausea or vomiting, profuse sweating, rapid breathing and heart rate, trembling and shortness of breath. The treatment recommended for philophobia are cognitive behavioral therapy which involves talk therapy that aims at recognizing the behaviors of the victim. Exposure therapy also works in this case specifically, Systematic Desensitization Therapy which involves relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises, gradual exposure to the idea of falling in love and real world task to get comfortable with love.

Philophobia may lead to substance abuse.

Some complications associated with love are anxiety, depression, panic disorder, erectile dysfunction for males, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder. It is important that we work through philophobia if you are experiencing it because it would be such a shame if you don’t get to experience how sweet love is. If you feel that your friend might be experiencing it as well, you should encourage them to take a leap of faith and work towards overcoming their fear of love. Giving and receiving love is one among the best feelings and everyone deserves a shot at it. No one is meant to be alone, don’t you all agree?

Ps. Just Saying.

I CAN’T GET ENOUGH!(Emotional eating)

I grew up not aware of so many issues pertaining eating disorders. It’s a topic that many people dismiss but I guess it’s time we start talking about them. I didn’t pay much attention to it until it directly affected me. It’s such a shame that I didn’t look into it earlier since I would have curbed this nasty habit while it was still at it’s core. It started with nibbling a few more bites of my favorite mint chocolate whenever someone got on my nerves. I eventually ended up eating chunks of junk food whenever I got stressed or anxious. It became my escapade and each and every time I felt any emotional pain, I tend to turn towards food. It numbs the pain but unfortunately, it’s temporary so I keep eating and eating not knowing when to stop. It has led to me gaining a lot of weight. I have always wanted to stop but I didn’t know how, so I did a lot of research and I want to share with you guys just incase you are going through the same. Stick around to find a way to undo this unhealthy habit.

Eating is natural but it should not be abused.

Emotional eating is the tendency to eat in order to escape, to numb, to change or to amplify feelings. You tend to seek comfort in food. The aftermath of emotional eating is the feeling of guilt or shame and cycles of excessive eating that eventually lead to weight gain. There are various forms of emotional eating. They include; clueless eating in which the victim lacks literacy on nutrition so they tend to sort advice from sources with vague information. Trance eating is associated with negative multitasking like eating while watching TV or reading. Medication eating involves eating food as a drug choice when depressed, anxious, worried, sad or annoyed. Sleep-deprived eating is experienced when one lacks enough sleep. Study shows that less sleep leads to more eating. Diet eating is a form of emotional eating in which the victim has a weight loss strategy with an expiration date and after it’s expired, the weight will come crashing right back. The signs of emotional eating are sudden sugar cravings, craving only certain foods especially sugary and fatty foods, overeating or shame and guilt after consuming large amounts of food.

Dieting is a weight loss strategy with an expiry date in other words emotional eating.

Some causes of emotional eating are as follows:

Retreating from social support when you need it the most.
Not engaging in activities to relieve stress and sadness like exercising.
Not understanding the difference between emotional and physical hunger.
Negative self-talking which is related to bingeing episodes.
Change in the cortisol levels leads to cravings.

Emotional eating can be stopped, if and only if you take the necessary steps to change this bad habit. It affects both genders but affects women more. The root cause of emotional eating is your inability to cope with your emotions. You should find other ways to cope with stress like going for nature walks, listening to music or meditation. Try being active by moving your body. Engaging in exercises boosts your mood and reduces anxiety. Start a food diary to track your food intake while monitoring the volume of the food. It is equally important to ensure that the food is balanced. Positive self-talk will help quell the need to feel satisfied just by eating. If the emotional eating is a stubborn habit that you can’t control, you can seek support by joining a support group or cognitive behavioral therapy. You might know someone who is going through this, you can reach out and try help them change this behavior. I believe that we can overcome emotional eating and we should not let it weigh us down.

Emotional eating can be curbed. You can do it!

Ps. Just Saying.

CAN NEVER BE ME!(Stages of acceptance)

Growing up, I loved my kitten Ollie unconditionally. I would set aside food off my plate just to ensure it’s well fed. It was my best friend since I stayed indoors during better part of my childhood. The bond between Ollie and I was profound. My mom tried countless times to break the bond between Ollie and I by constantly telling me that I will fall sick if I kept hanging out with him all the time but I didn’t pay much attention to her because I firmly believed that no one could rid me of my fury adorable friend. Just like everything else, our friendship was short-lived after Ollie accidentally swallowed a bone that blocked his gut. He became very ill and passed on. I couldn’t cope without him and I became a grumpy kid. I didn’t warm up to the other kitten that was brought home and constantly blamed my mom for not watching him. I thought that I could never get over him but after some time, I did. This brings me to todays topic; acceptance.

Acceptance is the willingness to tolerate difficult situations.

Acceptance refers to the willingness to tolerate a difficult situation and getting over it. It has different stages before a victim can fully claim that they are healed. Let’s get deeper into the stages. Denial is the first stage of acceptance. In this stage, the victim has shock from traumatic events like an accident, death, sexual abuse, being a war veteran and many more. The signs that you are going through denial are; clinging to a false sense of reality, the outlook on life becomes meaningless and life makes no sense. This stage is crucial in the healing process. All emotions come swarming in and you should let yourself feel everything. It will help you survive the loss that you are facing. Anger is the second stage. In this stage, you have the need to blame someone else for your misfortune or loss. The signs in include; the need to blame others, extending anger to everyone around you and feeling abandoned. Feeling the anger helps you to start your recovery journey. Feel the anger instead of suppressing it.

Feeling the anger will help you recover.

The third stage is bargaining. In this stage, you tend to have a relapse and you believe that you can avoid the problem through negotiation. The signs are constant self-doubt and constantly using the terms “what if” or “if only”. You end up focusing more on he past. It easy to notice when you get to this stage just by paying attention to your thoughts and words. It should be a sign that your are half way there and you are almost hacking your recovery. Depression is the fourth and darkest stage of recovery. You end up withdrawing from everything. This dangerous stage is characterized by withdrawal from life, intense sadness, suicidal thoughts, deep levels of grief enter your life. It’s an important and appropriate response to trauma. Acceptance is the final stage. You will finally get to accept the true and permanent reality. You realize that you can’t stick to the past, you start enjoying life again nd make new connections. You learn to live with the permanent reality.

Depression is the darkest stage of recovery.

After going through this stages, you grow your mindset and work towards becoming the best version of yourself. You need to believe that you will be better than before despite the loss. Try to learn as much as possible from the grief that you experienced. Read more and listen to audio books instead of lazing around. Eat healthy and also squeeze in a workout whether cardio or strength training. Nothing feels better than breaking a sweat and benefiting of it. Work towards embracing the challenges, failures and putting in more effort to make you better. Doing all these things will help you discover a new you and also ensure that your healing process is seamless. Just as Winston Churchill said “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. Grow and glow from the grief and gruesome experiences in life because then you will become stronger and better.

“Never let a good crisis go to waste” Winston Churchill.

Ps. Just Saying.

COLORFUL ME!(Vitiligo; leukoderma)

I grew up admiring my cousin. I especially loved the patch on her face. It made her unique and she was always glowing. She had fair skin and the patch was slightly pale, right on her left cheek. She was proud of it but later on, she became exhausted of the endless questions as to why she had the pale patch. She couldn’t explain it and what used to be her pride, turned to her flaw. She resulted to using cosmetics to cover the beautiful patch that she once adored in order to blend in without realizing that she wasn’t meant to fit in. Leukoderma or what is popularly known as vitiligo is a long-term condition where white patches develop on skin. Vitiligo is as a result of lack of melanin in certain areas of the skin. Melanin produce melanocytes which are responsible for the color pigmentation on our skin. It’s most common on the face, hands, neck, and where the skin creases like armpits.

The symptoms of vitiligo are quite direct. It starts with a pale patch on the skin that gradually turns white but if there are blood vessel underneath, it’s slightly pink. The edges of the patch may be smooth or regular, red or inflamed or brownish discoloration. The patch doesn’t cause discomfort but it can be itchy. The size of the patches may vary and are permanent. The patches may also develop on scalp and this causes the hair to be white or gray. There are two common types of vitiligo. Non-segmental and segmental vitiligo. They are both distinct as they have different features. Non-segmental vitiligo is also known as bilateral or generalized vitiligo. Bilateral vitiligo is characterized by patches that often appears on both sides; symmetrical. The generalized vitiligo is most common on the back of hands, around body openings or knees, elbows and feet. Segmental vitiligo is also known as unilateral or localized vitiligo. Unilateral vitiligo affects only on area of the body. It is less common but it’s most common children.

White patches on scalp cause white hair. Vitiligo is hereditary.

The causes of vitiligo include; autoimmune conditions. These are conditions in which the immune system works against itself. The immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells and tissues. If a family member has vitiligo, there are high chances of it being passed on. Skin cancer or melanoma can also cause vitiligo and non-Hodgkin lymphoma which is the cancer of the lymphatic system can cause vitiligo. Neurochemicals cause segmental vitiligo; the chemicals released from the nerve endings in your skin. Other causes include iron and copper deficiency, worm invasions or chronic inflammatory processes. Some complications associated with vitiligo are sunburns confidence and self-esteem issues, hearing loss and eye problems. Vitiligo can be triggered by stressful events like childbirth, skin damage through severe burns or cuts or exposure to chemicals. Vitiligo is permanent and one can only reduce the appearance by using skin camouflage creams, steroid creams and photo-therapy; light treatment.

You can choose to see vitiligo as a hindrance or you can embrace it with open arms. There are so many beautiful models who are thriving in the industry and they have vitiligo. They don’t hide it, they are proud of it and the world appreciates them despite the fact that you are different. It doesn’t matter if people don’t appreciate you. What you think about yourself is more important. Instead of focusing more on hiding your scars, try embracing them. You are a work of art and you add color in a dull world. Be a colorful you!!!

Ps. Just Saying.

A HAPPY ME!(Hacking happiness hormones)

Sometimes, it gets very tempting to stay sad. You don’t want to say a word to anyone or make any interactions whatsoever. It gets so frustrating when you want to snap out of it but you find it hard. In a crowd you feign being happy and smiley but deep down you know that you are just faking it. It gets so overwhelming since all you want is to smile genuinely. In other cases, things might not be going your way and it’s inevitable that a sadness spell will creep in on you and you’ll give in despite the urge to just live past the disappointment. If you are going through such a rough time, there’s a little hack for you. Happiness hormones. They are responsible for the good feelings that we get to experience while or after engaging in certain activities. It might seem a little farfetched but it absolutely works. Stick around for more insight in this piece.

Endorphins deals with stress ; “the pain killer hormone”

Endorphins are hormones that deal with stress and reduce the feelings of pain. “The Pain killer hormone” is what they call it. Endorphins can be hacked through laughter exercise; this can be achieved through watching comedy or funny clips online. Physical exercise triggers the secretion of endorphins as well. The chemical properties of endorphins are similar to morphine which is a painkiller. Taking part in fulfilling activities like traveling, listening to music and getting massages. Engaging in reward producing activities like meditating stimulates the secretion of the hormones.

Cycling triggers release of serotonin; “the mood stabilizer”

Serotonin or the mood stabilizer is responsible for the well being and happiness of an individual. It has an impact on the mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability and the memory of an individual. Exposure to light; vitamin D can stimulate production of the hormone especially the early morning or late evening sun. Activities like meditating, running, walk in nature, swimming, playing with pets and cycling lead to the production of the hormone. Study also says that eating foods rich in tryptophan also boosts the secretion of the hormone. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body can’t produce itself. It’s sourced from high protein foods like salmon, turkey, lean meat and cheese. Tryptophan works alongside folic acid to produce red blood cells. The mood stabilizer reduces depression symptoms.

Eating candy moderately stimulates secretion of dopamine; “the reward chemical”

Dopamine is the other happiness hormone. It is also known as the reward chemical. Dopamine brings about pleasurable sensations, learning, memory and motor system function. It plays a motivational role in the brain’s reward system. It can be triggered by completing a task, doing self care activities like going to the spa, eating food or celebrating small wins. Being intimate with a loved one like hugging and kissing can also lead to the secretion of the hormone. Eating dark chocolate in moderation can also trigger the release of the hormone. Exercising and reaching the body and weight goals is another wat to stimulate the production of the happiness hormone.

Oxytocin is responsible for bonding; “the love hormone”

Oxytocin is the hormone that is responsible for bonding; love and trust. It’s known as the love hormone. It’s responsible for the strong parent-child bonding, trust, empathy, bonding in relationships and it increases with physical affection. Intimate actions like hugging and kissing lead to increased production of the happiness hormone. Activities like playing with a pet, playing with a baby, holding hands, hugging family and giving or receiving a compliment also does the trick. Now that you have the cheat sheet to help you hack the happiness hormone, put it into action and be happy. Be a happy version of you!!!

Ps. Just Saying.

I CAN’T STOP!(Obsessive Compulsive disorder)

“I can’t stop myself from doing things over and over. Don’t get me started on my habitual zoning out. I keep obsessing on how I want my relationship to be perfect in every way but the downside to this is that I’ve never met this Mr. Perfect. I am not sure if he exists but I have painted a perfect picture of how I want him to act and look like. I mean I think about it every time I get the chance. I can’t help it. I obsess over food. It’s sort of a guilty pleasure of mine. I want to stop thinking about the next scrumptious meal that I will help myself to but it’s too tempting not to think about it. I even take sneak peeks at photos of food only for me to eat lots of unhealthy food and not get the satisfaction that I intended. Sometimes, I have the coercion to jump off a tall building anytime I am on the rooftop or I tend to question if I am a good person or just an imposter.” If you have such recurring obsessions or compulsive thoughts, don’t ignore this piece. It’s meant for you so stick around!

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by repetitive actions that seem impossible to stop. These thoughts are uncontrollable and recurring; obsessions and compulsions. The signs and symptoms are quite straightforward. You tend to have repeated thoughts or mental images that cause anxiety. They come in many different ways. It could be fear of germs or contamination, aggressive thoughts towards others or yourself or the compulsion to have things in symmetrical order. These behaviors tend to be repetitive that a person feels the urge to do like excessive cleaning, repeatedly checking on things or compulsive counting. You can’t control these behaviors and spend a good amount of time on these thoughts or behaviors. It’s unfortunate that most of the time you don’t get the pleasure you desire when performing these behaviors. People tend to experience significant problems like panic attacks, anxiety disorders and personality disorders; closely tied to Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.

OCD can make you aggressive towards others or yourself.

Some risk factors of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are a few. Firstly, we have genetics. The genetic make up of an individual could lead to having the disorder. If an immediate relative like a parent, sibling or child has the disorder, there are high chances of you having it as well. The brain structure and functioning of the brain could lead up to the mental disorder. Studies say that abnormalities in the brain could result to the disorder. The environment could also trigger the mental disorder. Childhood trauma could lead to the person developing the disorder later in life as they grow up. There are various ways to control the adverse effects of this disorder. There is medication that is administered; serotonin reuptake inhibitors or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The patient should take the medication for eight to twelve weeks for it to work. Psychotherapy also works; talking to a psychotherapist in one on one sessions has proved to be effective. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is as effective as well if the disorder has something to do with abnormalities in the brain. If you are suffering form the disorder, you can try writing down your obsessions and compulsions tackling them one after the other. You can beat OCD and overcome it. You can stop it!!!

You can stop the obsessions and compulsions!

Ps. Just Saying.