OCD: It's genetic it seems

Alienated

Well-known member
I personally think it's learned behavioras well, because obsessions are thoughts and those can be controlled. I am a recovered alcoholic with over 8 years sober, and it is proven that addictions form the same neural pathways as OCD. Now... my mothers side of the family is full of addicts, with all the addictive behaviors that I was exposed to.

Also alcoholisism is defined as a Obsession of the mind and alergy of the body. They claim alcoholisim is genetic also, but addictive behavior can be learned and changed. It's also a family disease, because those behaviors effect the whole family... Thinking and behaviors can be controlled i.e. Cognative Behavior Therapy

The thought patterns can be changed almost instantly with just the change of mind, or even a event that causes fears of that obsession.
Say a pyromaniac that get's burned, and his fear keeps him from going back to that...

Neural Thought pathways are like a dirt road, the more you take it. Deep ruts form and you can't get out of the rut, and dedicated to following it thought it the end. But new roads can be formed, and old one discarded. Soon that unused rutted road get over grown, and eventually can't be seen anymore. But what's cool is now you have the freedom to make as many new roads as you want to take you where you want... And not allow them to get rutted with unhealthy obsessions.

I do believe that their could be a genetic factor that could cause a propensity for it happening, but mostly learned traits and learned helplessness preventing deliverence from those obsessions.

I actually distill my own alcohol now as a solvent for extracting colorants from plants to make my own paints.. The thought of drinking any never crosses my mind, I don't even like the smell of it.

The belief that it's all genetic only is a scape goat for not taking the responsibility for taking control ones own thoughts and behaviors. Unhealthy thought and actions can be replaced with healthy ones, just like forgivness is a decision... You can dwell on RESENTMENT( Which is latin to Re-Live or Re-Feel), or learn to let it go. But now having the freedom to make a CHOICE.

It's just extremly hard to do, takes making a decision, time, practice, education, and healthy altenatives to replace those obsessions... It took me 21 years to get the 8 years I have, but now I am free to control my thoughts and actions. Unfortuately things usually have to get their worse before people are willing to make that choice... That's human nature.

A change of mind can't change a genetic's, but it can change behaviors. And fears can be over come too. :applause:
 
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Earthcircle

Well-known member
I take it that a genetically determined trait can switch off as a result of maturation? My OCD pretty much (if not completely) switched off when I was 30. It was a relief, but it was also a little puzzling. I sometimes wonder if thinking about it might make it come back. But evidently not. It seems to be pretty much gone, even if I think about it. I wonder what a geneticist would say about this.
 

Diend

Well-known member
there's definitely a sense of perfectionism and hyper vigilance and risk aversion associated with ocd sufferrers
 

akala

Well-known member
yes it sure is, my mom's grandfather was known as the crazy man in the community, he'd take several showers in the day and do other OCD things, nobody knew it was ocd they just said he was nuts.
 
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