Obsessions: Chapter 1

Based on reading this chapter, I can better understand why "obsession," as we call it today, is a perfect example of disease entity. Today the definition of the word obsession means an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone, but centuries ago it was defined other ways. And therefore got modified over centuries to better understand it and treat it. For example, the earliest use of the word "obsession" had to do with war then soon came to be used in describing demonic possession. The Renaissance culture accepted the demonic possession/ obsession model. In this time of age, to cure someone of their "demonic obsession behavior" involved an act of renouncing the devil and prayer. This treatment involved exorcism. Then in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, what replaced or modified the understanding of obsession as a demonic explanation was the nervous system. Based on a incident on February 15, 1787, people in group's were obsessed in which they were driven to act and be aware of their actions, but were unable to stop. Today we will now call this mass hysteria. People believed that to cure this disease was methodically shocking every patient with a electrical machine. From then until now we learned and changed the meaning of obsession to better understand it.

The Freud Reader: Peter Gay

The patient that Freud analyzes is Dr. Loernz, also known as "Rat Man." The reason Freud gives him this name is because of an obsession fear he has of a story he heard involving criminals being punished Pots were being turned upside down on the buttocks of the criminal and the rats in the pot bore their way into the criminals anus. Rat man also has a fear of his father dying and of a lady that is in his life who turns out to be his cousin. He wants to slit his own throat. "Rat Man" also seems to have premonitory dreams. For example, he dreamt of going to a child's funeral and sometime after the child died.

Chapter 8: OCD: Now and forever

OCD is one of the top mental disorders today. OCD was seen as a rare disease before the 70's. Now it is estimated that 2 or 3 out of a hundred people have it. An explanation for the increased numbers is media exposure. People see it and may identify with certain behavior. Researchers are trying to determine if OCD is a disease. Some researchers think that it is a structural and chemical disorder so it cannot be a disease. While researchers claim that OCD is found the world over, it in fact is not true. OCD does not exist in Taiwan. Certain research indicates a genetic basis for a predisposition to OCD. Analyses of hapolotypes has found correalation between specific genes and the likelihood of having OCD.

"Diagnosing OCD," by Osborn.

This chapter really goes in depth how to diagnose obsessive- compulsive disorder. OCD is diagnosed when obsessions and compulsions interfere significantly in a person's life. According to the general public, such as magazines and television, OCD has been diagnosed when a person thinks and carries a negative connotation, labeling them as an obsessional. But, the term "obsession" has a totally different meaning for mental health professionals. Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress. I agree with the mental health professionals because "obsession" is not a person who thinks a negative connotation, instead it is a endless, continous thought that might not be there all the time but it comes back from time to time and often effects the mental process.
The nature of complusions popularity is used to indicate anything done to excess but it is a repetition act that is performed according to rules that must be applied rigidly. Basically it is one that stresses the close relationship between compulsions and obsessions. What's interesting is that in the long run compulsions can only make obsession worse. Compulsions can be divided into two groups: behavorial and mental issues. For example, in the case of Howard Hughes, Hughes was a well known productive and successful person who passion was all about narcotics. But Hughes life was dominated by compulsions. He was afraid to eat, drink, or even be touched. So he wrote pages of memos for his staff on inconsequential items. Hughes germ obsessions drove him to hoarding whatever might contamination. This goes to prove how severe obsessions, along with compulsions, can be.

"Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine Bonaparte."

Napoleon, the writter of this letter, can be seen as an obsessional. I argue that he was not one for the simple fact the word obsession means a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. The keyword in this definition is unreasonable. The reason Napoleon showed so much emotion and anger in this letter is that he is fighting in a war while his wife, Josephine, is back at home not writing to him to at least show that she misses or love him. And when she does write to him, according to the letter, Josephine titled him "vous," the formal wat to say "you." Napoleon felt disrespected because it created distance between them, he preferred to be called by "tu," the informal way. Thus by being called "vous" he didn't feel like a husband, he felt no love from her. Napoleon is not obsessed with her, instead he wants to know the reason why Josephine had a change of heart towards him.