The difference between a person who can casually speak of having OCD and a person who actually has OCD is that a person who does not have OCD is able to filter out recurring thoughts about germs, for example. But people with OCD who are obsessed with germs cannot stop thinking about being contaminated and may even avoid going into public places. It is Obsessions, and it is persistent, uncontrollable, impulsive, intrusive, unwanted and disturbing. They cause anxiety or discomfort that significantly interferes with normal life.

But it does not mean that OCD is all just bad and trouble, in fact with the right treatment that includes mostly of a Cognitive Behavior Therapy, having OCD can become a tool to a more successful life. A therapy will dial down your anxiety, but not extinguish it completely, for times when it can be helpful. As Melissa Storm, a mother, an author, a wife, a business owner, and a person who lives with–not suffers from–Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, puts it-
“Most of the time, I like my OCD… the best part of my OCD is that I owe so much of my success in business to it. I can juggle enormous amounts of work with ease, thanks to my manic organization skills. I can anticipate and prepare for big shifts in the industry and jump on new tactics immediately, thanks to my constant planning and intense urge to know as much as possible about literally everything…”

Having OCD can be a flood causing havoc or it can be a river for you, according to how to take care of it. Let Samyak help you.

There is an alarming rise in alcohol, drug and substance addiction. From festive indulgence to addictive daily indulgence, people are falling victims to struggle for control over their own personality and every physical and psychological action, against being controlled by their addiction. The struggle for de-addiction often appears to an onlooker like a Mental retardation. As a consequence, their behavior is often misjudged and misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorder like OCD, Schizophrenia, bipolar. Etc.

Such misdiagnosis often lead to stigmas, discriminated, being stripped of all dignity in societies, even so far as to be ostracized by one’s own family. Their actual cries for help going unheard, their struggle ignored. Their growing depression goes unaddressed. Chronic ailments evoke sympathy and compassion in people, but mental ailments evokes disgust, hatred and fear due to lack of awareness. Resultantly, they become victims of being pushed involuntary into facilities where they are heavily medicated and do not see the light of freedom for months or even years. But treatment without compassion and love is not treatment at all.

Because what they really require is an environment that is loving, non-judgmental (depression has already damaged their self-esteem enough), accepting and compassionate. Samyak strive to provide a space for rehabilitation where they can be themselves without fear or shame- for, these are the only circumstances where they can accept themselves, begin loving themselves, at the same time taking responsibility for their lives and learn to enjoy living and reach a stage within themselves of not finding need to use substances. This enables them to own their dignity. This is the only crucible in which real change can take birth and grow.

So this festive season, let us show love and compassion towards ourselves first and then our fellow beings, in equal measure.

Psychology means the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, in this context, those affecting behavior of an addict.
Human beings are naturally engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent. Everyone does something that gives them a sense of pleasure, trill, satisfaction and comfort. However, overdoing it to the point of self-harm- mentally, socially, spiritually or physically is term simply as an addiction. Drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex or shopping are some of the most common indulgences that becomes repetitive and turn into addictions.

To understand addiction, we need to get to the root cause of it. As Lance Dodes, a retired clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, points it out in his book The sober truth, the focus is not on the addictive act itself, but on the feelings and events that preceded the very first thought of enacting an addictive behavior, when the sense of being utterly trapped arose.
For example, at 1 p.m. a man thinks of having a drink after work. He waits until 5 p.m. when he does go to a bar. To figure out the issues behind his addiction, the moment to focus on is not when he had the drink, but what was happening just before 1 p.m. that led him to feel overwhelmingly helpless. This point in time is calledthe “key moment” in addiction. It often occurs quite long before the act of addiction.

Every addictive act is preceded by a feeling of overwhelming helplessness or powerlessness. Examples- Frustration at work, immense grief of losing a love one or joblessness and boredom. The particular situations or feelings that produce this helplessness are different for different people.
Addictive behavior reverses these underlying feeling of helplessness. The behavior is able to do this because taking an addictive action (or even deciding to take this action) is a way of doing something that the person expects will make him feel better, occupy him, a distraction, an act that is completely in his own control. Hence, this action creates a sense of being in power, of regaining control against helplessness. The reversal of helplessness is the psychological function of addiction.

Addiction are displacements of attention, a substitute action for taking a direct action. For example, a person with drug addiction comes home to dysfunctional family with herparents shouting and arguing over every matter. Depressed, she feels an intense compulsionto take pills to keep her from thinking. She is attempting to solve the problem of feeling helpless by taking an action that is completely in her control and that she expects will make her feel better. Butthis action is actually a substitute for a more direct response. Such as confronting her parents, talking about it to someone who can help or moving out.
In treatment of a person with an addiction, it is important to locate the more direct actions that could have been taken. Along with this, it is important to explore why those direct actions felt impossible at the time too young, low self-esteem, fears, and insecurities or maybe just didn’t know better.
Understanding the psychology behind the addictive behavior is the most important part of treating an addiction. It can help the patient express and let go of things that leads them to addiction. For example, the inability to overcome grieve of losing loved ones has often lead to alcoholism. Rehab and therapy can direct one to a healthier way of expressing grieve and overcoming it as in with many other form of addiction- Drugs, sex, gambling, smoking or shopping.
Addiction is a psychological symptom and recognizing the issue behind the addiction, the psychologyis foremost in eliminating the addiction for good.
To kill weeds, it must be rooted out.

Addiction is a progressive disorder of brain, it does not happen overnight but gradually over a period of time, where the use of the object of addiction (e.g. drug) is initially normal or irregular, sought out for occasional pleasure, with full intention of having self-awareness and control over its use. However, it gradually becomes a habitual activity with no self-control over its use. In other word, a person gets enslaved to the addictive stimulus.

Two aspects characterize an addictive stimulus, it is reinforcing– high tendency to repeat its usage/exposer, and it is highly rewarding– provides immense pleasure, often soothing as an Antistress. The gratification provided by addictive behavior is short-term and the pleasure it provides lowers as the brain progressively adapts to it, which results in intake of higher dosages with smaller intervals between intakes. Though gratification is immediate and short-term, the consequences of addiction are long-term and consequentially so is its recovery.
 
Effect of addiction
Behavioral change is foremost visible in daily life, addictive behavior replaces everything else the person use to enjoy e.g. drinking alcohol may replace the person’s hobby of playing football if it becomes an addiction. It overtakes even necessary actions such as eating, sleeping, working and socializing. It is beyond a matter of willpower.
Addiction has a direct impact on both physical as well as mental health, a prolonged use of drugs and alcohol may cause irreparable damage to organs. Use of drugs weakens the immune system, which is equivalent to opening the gate for various diseases to enter the body, which then is linked to financial consequences- on both addiction indulgence expenses and the eventual treatment cost for various health issues caused by the addiction.
 
Treatment
Treatment of addiction is a long and tedious process involving high level of self-realization and motivation from client’s end, psychotherapy, rehabilitation and medications depending of the severity of the addiction. It includes physical detoxification, especially for alcohol and other drugs. Detoxification is removing all the traces of the substance from the body. Detox is followed by rehabilitation, which involves getting into the core of why a person uses the object of addiction, the causes of its development into addiction and coping with the impact of not using it, known as withdrawals. A withdrawal syndrome is of two types simple and complicated. Simple withdrawal consists of insomnia, restlessness, tremulousness, disturbed appetite, headache etc. Complicated withdrawal is characterized by seizures (commonly known as Rum Fits), altered sensorium (commonly known as Delirium Tremens), hallucinations, and other behavioral disturbances. Medical assistance can help control withdrawal syndrome.
Rehabilitation uproots the cause of the addiction (stress, depression, trauma…) and gradually decreases the dependency on the use of the addictive stimulus by teaching patients to develop other healthy hobbies and coping strategies. Recovery from addiction is a life-long process, and like many other chronic diseases, about 40% to 60% of people with a drug addiction experience at least one or more relapse after an initial recovery. A regular post-rehab therapy session is often relied on by patients to avoid falling back into their addiction.

1. Positive symptoms-
   Delusions (false, firm and unshakable belief held in contrast to educational, cultural, social and economic background), hallucinations (perception in absence of stimulus-which can be auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile and gustatory), disorganization in thought, speech and behavior (person’s inability to think and process logic), unprovoked aggression and violence.
2. Negative symptoms-
   Impaired communication and social skills, lack of facial expressions, lack of motivation and depression and pessimistic attitude.
3. Cognitive symptoms-
   Impairment in higher functions of brain like- executive functioning, planning, decision making, problem solving, attention and concentration.

Schizophrenia generally strikes young adults, with equal probability in males and females. Causes of Schizophrenia can be biochemical, genetic, environmental but mostly Schizophrenia has multifactorial etiology. Chance of Schizophrenia in general population is 1% which increases significantly if there is positive family history of Schizophrenia. Untreated childhood trauma, drug abuse, social isolation, and dysfunctional family are some of environmental factors causing schizophrenia. 
Although there is no cure for Schizophrenia, a majority, if not all, of the symptoms can be relieved or controlled with a combination of medication, rehabilitation, counseling and therapies. Anti-psychotic medications can reduce positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, and inability to distinguish reality from make believes. Rehabilitation can develop social skills, boost self-confidence, and provide training for jobs, communication skills and other aspects to lead a normal social life. Therapy and counseling can help cope with negative symptoms like depression and pessimistic attitude. Individual and group sessions provide a platform for a person to learn more about the illness and to find support from others. 
Most importantly, it requires a high emotional support from family, close relations and even society. With the right support, treatment and rehabilitation a person diagnosed with Schizophrenia can return to living normally like any other person, by having a control on his or her symptoms instead of being controlled by them.