Adversity, Uncertainty and Elevated Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A New Understanding through Resiliency and Positive Psychotherapy

Abstract

The content of thought, which emerges from the processing of information from the social context lived, is a critical factor that guides whether the behavior is psychopathological or not. In cases where worry, anxiety and fear are dominant in the content of thought, the individual may find himself in some psychopathological processes. Adversity and uncertainty are the main factors that lead to the experience of worry, anxiety and fear which is the last point of these. Uncertainty of information from the social context lived, when matched with adversity, may lead to chaotic situations at the cognitive level, e.g., thought contents such as distortions in thought, severe anxiety and fear. Obsessive compulsive disorder derives from severe worry and anxiety. Although the disorder is classified under anxiety disorders, it is actually a thought distortion disorder. The individual finds himself repeating the strange behavior patterns accompanied by strange thought contents in order to get rid of the severe anxiety and accelerated thought cycle he is exposed to. Ambiguity and uncertainty also may lead to the accelerated thought cycle, ruminations, severe thought distortions, over-generalizations. Ruminations, especially, impair the individual’s ability to think and process emotions gradually. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will be discussed in terms of ambiguity and uncertainty with the combination of adversity. Positive Psychotherapy, which is one of the latest effective technique in recovery processes of the diseases, will be mentioned.