Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered an anxiety disorder. “Anxiety disorders make sufferers feel disproportionately anxious or fearful.” McGrath (2007) With OCD, people repeatedly experience obsessive thoughts, images, or impulses that range from annoying to extremely distressing. They then respond to those thoughts with repetitive compulsive behaviors or thoughts. New studies have shown that only about 6 to 9 million Americans suffer from OCD. The research I have done on the topic seems to point to cognitive behavioral therapy as the most effective treatment for patients with this disorder. There are some differing ideas about what causes OCD and whether those causes are chemical or biological. Carmin (2009) OCD prevents sufferers from living their lives as they would like, sometimes affecting friendships, marriages and self-confidence. Luckily, OCD is a treatable disease and with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy, most sufferers can learn to manage their symptoms and improve their lives. People who suffer from OCD give more credibility to their random thoughts and imagine that the things they fear will come. REAL. Those who suffer from OCD often realize that their thoughts are not logical but become engulfed by them. McGrath (2007). People with OCD suffer from obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts or images that appear in a person's mind and cause severe anxiety or distress. Compulsions on the other hand are a ritual that a person performs to try to get rid of or counter their obsessive thoughts. Compulsive rituals relieve some of the anxiety, but only temporarily, then the obsessions return and, unfortunately, the compulsions only end up reinforcing... middle of paper... Houghton, S., Saxon, D., Bradburn, M. , Ricketts, T., & Hardy, G. (2010). The effectiveness of regularly administered cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a comparative evaluation study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 49(4), 473-489.doi:10.1348/014466509X475414McGrath, P. B. (2007). The OCD Answer Book. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. Podea, D., Suciu, R., Suciu, C., & Ardelean, M. (2009). AN UPDATE ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER IN ADULTS. Journal of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychotherapies, 9(2), 221-233. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.