OCD Trauma and Mood

Psychological Disorders: OCD, Trauma & Mood

The Story of the Mind’s Storm

Imagine your brain is like a busy airport. Planes (thoughts) come and go all day. Air traffic controllers (your brain systems) keep everything running smoothly. But sometimes, things go wrong. A storm hits. Planes get stuck circling. Controllers get overwhelmed. That’s what happens with certain psychological disorders.

Today, we’ll explore OCD, trauma-related disorders, and mood disorders—three types of “storms” that can affect our mental airport.

🔄 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

What is OCD?

Think of a song stuck in your head. You didn’t ask for it. You can’t make it stop. Now imagine that song is a scary thought—and the only way to feel better is to do something over and over.

That’s OCD.

OCD has two parts:

1. Obsessions = Unwanted thoughts that won’t leave
2. Compulsions = Actions you repeat to feel safe

Simple Example

🧒 Maya’s Story:

Maya worries germs are everywhere. She washes her hands 50 times a day. Her skin cracks and hurts. She knows it’s too much, but she can’t stop. The worry is too strong.

Key Points

graph TD
    A["Scary Thought"] --> B["Anxiety Builds"]
    B --> C["Do the Ritual"]
    C --> D["Brief Relief"]
    D --> A

The OCD Trap: The more you do the ritual, the stronger the cycle becomes. The brain learns: “Doing this = safety.” But the relief is short. The thought returns.

🔗 OCD-Related Disorders

OCD has “cousins”—disorders that look similar but focus on different things.

1. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

You look in the mirror. You see a “flaw” that others can’t see. You can’t stop thinking about it.

Example:

Leo spends 3 hours each day checking if his nose looks “normal.” His friends say it looks fine. He doesn’t believe them.

2. Hoarding Disorder

Throwing things away feels impossible. The stuff piles up. Rooms become unusable.

Example:

Grandma Rose keeps every newspaper since 1990. Her hallways are narrow paths between towers of paper. She feels each one might be important someday.

3. Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling)

The urge to pull hair is overwhelming. It brings relief—then shame.

4. Excoriation (Skin-Picking)

Picking at skin until it bleeds. Hard to resist. Often done without noticing.

What links them all: A repeated behavior that’s hard to stop + distress when you try to stop.

💔 Trauma-Related Disorders

What is Trauma?

Trauma is what happens when something very scary or harmful happens—and your brain can’t process it normally.

Think of a computer that freezes when it gets too much data. Your brain can “freeze” too. It stores the bad memory in a broken way. Pieces keep popping up when you don’t want them.

Types of Trauma

🚨 PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

What is PTSD?

After a scary event, most people feel bad for a while. Then they heal. But for some, the memory stays “alive.” It’s like the danger is still happening—even years later.

The 4 Main Symptoms:

graph TD
    A["PTSD Symptoms"] --> B["Re-experiencing"]
    A --> C["Avoidance"]
    A --> D["Negative Changes"]
    A --> E["Hyperarousal"]

Breaking It Down

Real-Life Example

🎖️ Sam’s Story:

Sam was a soldier. He came home 5 years ago. But loud noises still make him dive for cover. He has nightmares. He avoids movies with explosions. His body acts like the war never ended.

Important: PTSD isn’t weakness. It’s the brain trying to protect you—but the alarm system is stuck “on.”

😢 Depressive Disorders

What is Depression?

Everyone feels sad sometimes. That’s normal. Depression is different. It’s sadness that stays too long and gets too deep. It’s like wearing heavy grey glasses—everything looks dark.

Key Signs

• Feeling sad or empty most days
• No interest in things you used to enjoy
• Changes in sleep (too much or too little)
• Changes in appetite
• Feeling worthless or guilty
• Trouble concentrating
• Thoughts of death or suicide

How Long? These feelings last at least 2 weeks—and they get in the way of daily life.

⛈️ Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

The Heavy Blanket

Imagine a heavy, wet blanket thrown over you. You want to get up. You want to enjoy life. But the blanket is too heavy. That’s major depression.

Symptoms Must Include:

1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day OR
2. Lost interest in almost everything

Plus several other symptoms for at least 2 weeks.

Example

🧑 Jamie’s Story:

Jamie used to love painting. Now the brushes sit untouched. Getting out of bed feels impossible. Food has no taste. Friends text, but Jamie doesn’t reply. Everything feels pointless.

Key Facts

🧪 Explaining Depression

Why Does Depression Happen?

Depression isn’t just “feeling sad.” It’s a complex mix of factors.

The Three-Legged Stool

graph TD
    A["Depression"] --> B["Biology"]
    A --> C["Psychology"]
    A --> D["Social Factors"]

1. Biology (The Brain & Body)

• Neurotransmitters: Chemicals like serotonin and dopamine help you feel good. In depression, they may be out of balance.
• Genetics: If your parents had depression, your risk is higher.
• Brain structure: Some brain areas work differently in depressed people.

2. Psychology (How You Think)

• Negative thinking patterns: “Nothing will ever get better.”
• Learned helplessness: After many failures, you stop trying.
• Rumination: Thinking the same sad thoughts over and over.

3. Social Factors (Your World)

• Stressful events: Job loss, breakups, death of loved ones
• Isolation: Loneliness makes depression worse
• Lack of support: No one to talk to

The Stress-Diathesis Model

Simple idea: Some people are born with a “vulnerability” (diathesis). Add stress, and depression can begin.

Vulnerability + Stress = Depression (for some people)

🎢 Bipolar Disorders

The Mood Roller Coaster

Imagine your mood as a swing. Most people swing gently. With bipolar disorder, the swing goes way up and way down.

The Two Poles

Types of Bipolar

Bipolar I:

• Full manic episodes (at least 7 days or severe enough for hospital)
• Usually depressive episodes too

Bipolar II:

• Hypomanic episodes (less severe, shorter)
• Major depressive episodes (often the bigger problem)

What Mania Looks Like

🚀 During a manic episode:

• Feeling like you can do anything
• Talking very fast
• Racing thoughts
• Needing little sleep
• Spending lots of money
• Starting many projects
• Making risky choices

Example

🎨 Alex’s Story:

Last month, Alex felt on top of the world. Stayed up 4 nights straight painting. Spent $5,000 on art supplies. Felt like a genius. This month? Can’t get out of bed. Believes the paintings are worthless. The swing went from high to low.

Key Differences

🌈 The Path Forward

Hope Exists

All these disorders are treatable. People recover. People live full lives.

What helps:

• Therapy (especially CBT and exposure therapy)
• Medication (when appropriate)
• Support from others
• Self-care and routine
• Understanding your condition

Remember

• These disorders are not your fault
• Asking for help is brave, not weak
• Recovery is possible
• You are more than your diagnosis

📝 Quick Summary

🎯 Key Takeaways

1. OCD traps you in a cycle of scary thoughts and rituals
2. OCD-related disorders focus on specific behaviors (hoarding, picking, pulling)
3. Trauma disorders happen when the brain can’t process scary events
4. PTSD keeps you reliving danger that’s already passed
5. Depression is more than sadness—it’s a heavy blanket that won’t lift
6. Major depression requires symptoms for at least 2 weeks
7. Depression has many causes: biology, psychology, and social factors
8. Bipolar disorder swings between extreme highs and lows

You’ve just learned about some of the mind’s toughest storms. But remember: every storm passes. And help is always available. 🌤️