Psychological disorders and treatment
Psychological disorders can be described as abnormal behavior. Defining what abnormal behavior is can be a complex process. Not every episode of behavior we would deem abnormal is due to a psychological disorder. Having anxiety before a big event, performing, etc. is natural, however, when anxiety starts to affect one’s life and causes suffering, there might be an underlying disorder. Psychologists identify behavior as abnormal when it matches one or more of this criteria: unusualness, social deviance, emotional distress, maladaptive behavior, dangerousness, faulty perceptions or interpretations of reality (Nevid, 2012).
Disorders are classified into groups, for example, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, dissociative and somatoform disorders, etc. that are further divided into specific disorders. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, for example, is an anxiety disorder, whereas, hypochondriasis is a somatoform disorder.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects the brain and behavior. OCD involves obsessions and compulsions that are time-consuming, distressing, even impairing, that the person suffering from the disorder cannot control.
According to Abramowitz, Taylor & McKay (2009), obsessions have four fundamental features: “they are recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and cause great anxiety; they are not simply excessive worries about real life issues; the affected individual attempts to ignore, suppress, or neutralize them with some other thought or action; and the affected individual recognizes that these thoughts are a product of his or her mind” (p. 491). Obsessions are unwanted thoughts and doubts; for example, one might doubt that they turned off all electrical appliances or think that their skin is being contaminated with germs.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or thoughts meant to make the obsessive thoughts go away. For example, if one always doubts they turned off the lights, they might flip the switch 10 times to make sure. People afraid of their skin being contaminated with germs, might wash their hands compulsively tens or hundreds of times per day. Healthy people might have rituals, such as checking if the doors are locked several times before going to bed, however, these rituals do not interrupt their daily lives.
Scientist do not know what causes obsessive-compulsive disorder. Genetic factors might play a role, however, genes are only partly responsible. Research shows that “OCD involves problems in communication between the front part of the brain and deeper structures of the brain” (“International OCD foundation”, 2015).
Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects about 2-3% of the population (Nevid, 2012). The gender ratio is almost 1:1; the onset is usually during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, rarely starting after the age of 30. In childhood onset, mostly boys are affected (Solomon & Grant, 2014).
There are several ways to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, the most effective is exposure-and-response-prevention therapy. The therapy consists of the patient being exposed to anxiety-inducing stimuli, and they have to refrain from indulging in the compulsive behavior the patient believes will reduce stress or prevent the feared outcome. The therapist starts with exposure to a mild stimuli building up to more distressing ones. The point is to show that nothing bad will happen if the patient does not perform the compulsive behavior; the anxiety will reduce naturally. For example, someone who obsessively washes their hands has to touch a doorknob and refrain from washing their hands. The therapist has to remind the patient throughout the session to focus on the fear as they will try to use distraction to deal with their feelings (Solomon & Grant, 2014).
Another treatment options is pharmacotherapy. It can be used by itself or in addition to exposure-and-response-prevention therapy. Pharmacotherapy involves serotonin reuptake inhibitors and, in some cases, added antipsychotic medication. Trials show relapse rates after discontinuing pharmacotherapy range between 24-89%, whereas, relapse rates after exposure-and-response-prevention therapy are at only 12% (Abramowitz, Taylor, & McKay, 2009).
If psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy do not work, a last resort option is brain stimulation and surgical interventions. “Surgical interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder involve cutting the tracts (circuits) between structures that might be important in the disorder (..). These procedures include anterior capsulotomy, anterior cingulotomy, subcaudate tractotomy, and limbic leucotomy” (Abramowitz, Taylor, & McKay, 2009, p. 497). However, surgical procedures in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder remain highly controversial. A less invasive treatment is deep brain stimulation through surgically implanted electrodes.
Hypochondriasis
Hypochondriasis (or hypochondria) is a somatoform disorder and is considered an emotional condition that causes physical symptoms. People who suffer from hypochondriasis are convinced that they have a serious illness. They see every symptom as a sign of a deadly condition, like cancer or heart disease. Mild symptoms (cough, sore throat, headache, etc.) can cause serious distress and suffering. They cannot be convinced by anyone, including medical professionals, that there is nothing wrong with them. Hypochondriacs will do extensive research on every symptom they experience, go see doctors, specialists, etc. They believe the doctors surely missed something, and there is definitely something wrong. They will go from one doctor to another to get more opinions, demand expensive diagnostic tests, prescriptions, take over-the-counter medication, and may even receive unnecessary surgery (“Hypochondria”, 2004).
Severe cases of hypochondriasis affect one’s relationships, work, and daily lives. There is no certain cause of hypochondriasis, but some reasons can be “disturbance in perception such that normal sensations are magnified; the belief that an illness may be deserved due to some past real or imagined wrongdoing; having learned apparent benefits of being sick, such as receiving attention (..); [it] may be related to another psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder” (“University of Maryland Medical Center”, 2015). Indeed, in majority of cases, hypochondria is a symptom of another mental disorder, for example, the previously mentioned OCD where the person is obsessed with the thought that they have a serious disease, and they are compulsively studying medical books, searching for information online, and seeing doctors.
Individuals who experienced an illness in childhood are likely to have hypochondriasis due to the sympathy they receive because of it. In some cases, an illness brings financial support. Also, it can provide an excuse for failure, for example, not being able to perform one’s duties at work because of an illness (“Hypochondria”, 2004).
The Internet is a major issue with hypochondriasis. In the past, the only access to medical information was books, however, today all medical knowledge and information is available online. Researching a symptom can bring up thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of results, most of which will likely point to a serious illness. This can make things spiral out of control as it leaves the patient with more diseases to worry about. A doctor treating a hypochondriac should suggest they refrain from researching their symptoms online.
When visiting a doctor to examine symptoms, the doctor usually does all tests necessary, but once the possibility of a physical condition is ruled out, they might suggest psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy can help the patient deal with their disorder, just like in the case of OCD. Another option is group therapy.
Generally, a doctor will not prescribe medicine to treat hypochondriasis, however, since most cases are related to other disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxieties, etc.), taking medication for those disorders can keep symptoms of hypochondriasis under control.
There are alternative treatments that can help with hypochondriasis. One that has been proven to aid some results is acupuncture. Regular check-ups at the doctor can help the patient with ease of mind as they get reassured there is nothing wrong with them. There are no studies that prove nutrition helps with hypochondriasis, however, it might help to stay away from alcohol and caffeine (especially, if dealing with depression or anxiety). Excluding any possible food allergens from diet (dairy, gluten, etc.), eating foods rich in antioxidants, iron, vitamin B, avoiding refined foods, trans-fatty acids can help, along with having regular meals to keep blood sugar levels stable, drinking plenty of water, and exercising can help, as well. Other things that can help are meditation, herbs, homeopathy, and massage (“University of Maryland Medical Center”, 2015).
Conclusion
Psychological disorders can be debilitating. They can cause distress and seriously impact one’s daily life. Left untreated, they can ruin lives by alienating loved ones, friends, causing one to lose their job and so on. There is much stigma around mental disorders; thankfully, society is becoming more accepting and proper healthcare is provided to those suffering from one. Although some disorders might not be 100% curable, with the advancements in psychology and medicine, they can be kept under control. Treatments range from surgery in severe cases, to medication, therapy, and even non-invasive, simple things like controlling one’s thoughts through meditation.

References
Abramowitz, J. S., Taylor, S., & McKay, D. (2009). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Lancet, 374(9688), 491-499. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199044004?accountid=458
University of Maryland Medical Center. (2015). Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/hypochondriasis
Hypochondria. (2004). The Harvard Mental Health Letter / From Harvard Medical School, 21(1), 4-6. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2c95cb0e-2e7c-42d2-aa9e-8c196eded99e%40sessionmgr4005&vid=3&hid=4201
International OCD foundation. (2015). Retrieved from https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/what-causes-ocd/
Solomon, C. G., & Grant, J. E. (2014). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. The New England Journal of Medicine, 371(7), 646-653. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1554571187?a