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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Is OCD psychological, biological or both?

    Related Topics
    Anxiety Mental Health Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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  • Mental Health Association NSW

    Offers information and education advice about protecting mental health, mutual support and advocacy services. View Profile

    We frequently hear about the “nature versus nurture” debate, most experts now recognize that it is the interaction between our genes and the environment that determines whether a person develops OCD.

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  • Wyley Hargraves

    Counsellor

    I'm passionate about helping families, couples and individuals with the pressure of life, no matter where the difficulties originate. In therapy we find the source … View Profile

    That's a really good question. OCD can be not only psychological and biological, but it can also have different aspects. First, let's talk about the psychological, because that's how our mind works. We all have thoughts that do lead to obsession or compulsion. That is one aspect of OCD that we could look at is thought patterns and how they were established. Every individual is different, so their thought patterns are based on past events and how they view themselves, how they see their identity. So that's one framework from which we can start off with the psychological things.

    The biological can involve brain chemistry and just the way that an individual's brain works. Sometimes medication is helpful in helping get a right balance chemistry of brain chemistry, but also positive thoughts create positive chemicals in the brain so, again oftentimes, it does come back to getting a distinct and positive brain thought pattern going. Another aspect that isn't talked about much in this area is the spiritual aspect. There can be spiritual aspects according to a person's spiritual beliefs, that also have some effect in OCD. That's always discussed on an individual basis as to what a person's beliefs are.

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