We humans are interesting creatures. We have the capacity for reason and logic, love and sentiment, friendship and relationships, as well as fear and regret, self-doubt and loathing, and just general nastiness to ourselves and others. What is that?

Hunopoly is a site to visit to learn about yourself and others and find information and tools to cope with the stresses and strains of life. This site is a constant work in progress and will continue to expand the topic base over time.

We hope you find what you are looking for in terms of help, information or just a good laugh.

If there’s something you think needs improvement contact us with your suggestion.

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The official word is that, no, there is no cure – but don't despair.

There are some very effective ways of treating OCD and managing its symptoms, but an OCD cure still eludes us.

What is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by compulsive behaviors and/or obsessive thoughts. These obsessions are recurrent, unwanted thoughts that sufferers cannot suppress, and which interfere with their normal lives.

The most common obsessions include:

  • Need for exactness or symmetry
  • Fear of germs
  • Excessive doubt
  • Fear of harming someone
  • Fear of making mistakes
  • Fear of acting in a socially unacceptable way

Compulsions are ritualized and repetitive behaviors that a person feels compelled to go through in order to alleviate the anxiety that comes with the obsession. Such rituals may occupy many hours every day.

  • Counting
  • Repeating
  • Organizing/Arranging
  • Touching or tapping
  • Hoarding
  • Cleaning
  • Checking

Approximately 80% of OCD suffers have both compulsions and obsessions with the other 20% having just one or the other.

There are many people with OCD. Around one in fifty Americans suffer with OCD ñ that is over 4 million people in the US alone.

The condition does not discriminate, affecting men, women and children of all races and religions. It first manifests itself in early adulthood, adolescence or childhood.

Are its causes known? A single, proven cause for OCD and not yet been found, however some research shows that it may have to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One of these chemicals, serotonin, is known to help in stopping people from continually repeating the same behaviors. A person who has OCD may not have enough serotonin and may function better when they take medicines that increase the amount of serotonin in their brain – but this is not an OCD cure.

OCD Treatment

In the past standard treatment has been with behavioral therapy, drug treatment, or a combination of the two.

However new research is showing behavioral therapy to be the most effective, and the best to try initially. With behavioral therapy, patients are taught to reduce anxiety without performing the rituals, and to confront their fears. Called "exposure and ritual prevention", it is effective in 80% of cases.

There are two different categories of medications that are used to treat OCD, and those taking medication show a 30% reduction in symptoms.

Consultation with a health professional is vital if the OCD is to be managed successfully, and with the many research institutes exploring the condition, an OCD cure may be one day be found.

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Economic Downturn Increases Anxiety

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In a recent article in Wired Magazine reported a disturbing trend about the rise of mental health cases with the downturn in the economy. Not that this is particularly surprising given the depth of the GFC especially in North America. Have a good read of this article. Here’s just a snippet: Then there was this [...]

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This Emotional Life

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The Emmy Award-winning team of Vulcan Productions and the producers of NOVA have created a three-part series that explores improving our social relationships, learning to cope with depression and anxiety, and becoming more positive, resilient individuals.The series was produced by Kunhardt McGee Productions. Harvard psychologist and best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Professor Daniel Gilbert, [...]

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Natural Anti Anxiety Treatments – What Are The Alternatives?

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Do you suffer from severe anxiety? Do you desire to stop worrying all the time? If so, you should know that there are large numbers of anti anxiety cures available.  These treatments span from prescribed medications to natural methods.  You can select one or combine a number of treatments. It is up to you to [...]

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What Causes Social Anxiety?

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Social Anxiety Disorder is a fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. People who have social anxiety often fear that they are being watched, judged, and evaluated by other people. It is often mistaken for shyness or low self-esteem. There are many different causes of social anxiety, however, the cause of social [...]

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3 Ways To Overcome Anxiety

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According to some medical professionals, the best ways to overcome anxiety include three different treatments. While other treatments maybe valid we will just focus on the following treatments: cognitive group behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and possible medication. A psychologist or psychiatrist will decide which strategy is best for each patient in order to help [...]

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You Must Learn To Break The Fear Of Having Another Panic Attack Or You Will Never Experience Complete Freedom From Anxiety

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This technique is not NLP or hypnosis. It is an advanced cognitive technique born from traditional psychology that everyone can apply regardless of how long the anxiety has been present. The first time a person experiences a panic attack it can feel like their world is falling down around them. Nowhere feels safe as the [...]

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What Should You Do After An Anxiety Attack?

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Whether you have had many anxiety attacks in your life or you have just experienced your first one, it can still be a very frightening situation.  The very fact that such an occurrence can appear out of the blue with little warning is very unsettling.  Most people would like to know exactly what they should [...]

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5 Tips For Anxiety Self Help

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Probably one of the scariest things you can experience in your life is an anxiety episode.  If you have one you will experience a number of symptoms that can be very frightening.  The good news is that there are quite a few anxiety self help tips you can use that will allow you to get [...]

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