THE BATTii
zo
ed from pa-|
s not race-bak
ild reward it;
indents under,-,
.ademically
ally disad'
r December
nts gave co
to the top
r more rese
>n.
officials
General John
them on the p i
ot consider the 1
his fall sa\e' ]
mining for iv]
fill these
, Sen
Aggie
THE BATTALION
Monday, March 4, 2002
Students with obsessive compulsive disorder cope with rough rituals
By Crystal Dobson
THE BATTALION
Double-checking to verify car headlights are
can turned off may seem normal to students. Worrying
hi)(ivabout it all night in bed, however, is not.
m making a
is on the pla
Is said Fn
immitted to
e rat ion col
e those targ<
n. to Texas -
ed from pa
. earing her *
roommate,
ophomore
ent major, si;
of person ,
as h
ot
|i jThis behavior pattern is referred to as obsessive
compulsive disorder, or OCD.
jjHSome may not be aware of those around them
who have been diagnosed with OCD. Some patients
do not think of the disorder as a big deal, so they
^■y not bring up the topic. Ashley Pauley, a fresh-
|Hn psychology major, said she tries not to make a
jHne with her OCD.
■“I usually don’t even
thii k about the disorder, so
m> friends don’t know the
extmt of it.” Pauley said. “I
sHe medicine which helps
symptoms, and without
jB medicine, they can
|B:ome worse with age.”
(■The Obsessive Compulsive
Foundation described OCD as
a particular thought the brain
jHs ahold of and cannot let
go. Obsession-compulsion is a
[Bnbination of thoughts that ’
cannot escape the mind, except through repetitive
compulsions performed by the person according to
certain “rules.” The rituals performed are an
attempt to escape the discomfort caused by the
obsessions. .
■ Pauley said she does not know what motives are
beltind her actions and she cannot prevent them.
■“I am obsessed with cleanliness,” Pauley
said. “I cannot stand residue on my hands, so I
constantly find myself washing my hands with
scalding water, to kill the germs more. It is hard
r ,1 . for me to touch animals, and something as sim-
TdllS 10. pi e as peeling an orange would drive me crazy
from all the residue it causes.”
IA (AP) - ®Pauley said she has other compulsions she
Id boy died T
fell five stone
at a downtw ip
id.
■ Neal
d out on St
Icony of fe
the Omni
through the
spokesman
said,
oddler
ory roof,
at a hospital.
I cannot stand residue on
my hands, so I constantly find
myself washing my hands with
scalding water
ho didn’t I
it 4 p.m. ir
wived bv 1
I Corky, ai
»kc.
norial tnw
Page's met
Bank in SI
WS IN
cannot control.
“I am overly picky when it comes to food,” she
said. “1 usually throw away refrigerated items
after a week, in case it is spoiled; I cannot stand
adding condiments such as salt and pepper,
ketchup or mayonnaise to my food after it has
been served. Also, if it’s not prepared exactly the
way 1 want it, I won’t eat it.”
OCD is usually curable. Clinical attention is
necessary when the symptoms persist, cause dis
tress or interfere with daily activities.
Pauley said her main compulsion is what
takes up most of her time.
“Every night I have
certain rules and rituals I
have to follow before 1
go to sleep,” Pauley
said. “Washing my face a
certain way. plucking my
eyebrows a certain way,
or even having my bed
set up a certain way are a
few things in my sched
ule for the night. It usu
ally takes 30 minutes, if
everything goes perfect.
If things don’t happen
exactly right, I find
myself losing sleep at night, either repeating the
process or overly thinking about it.”
Obsessive thoughts can interfere with the
learning process. While sitting in class, a person
with OCD may also experience concentration and
attention problems.
The National Institute of Mental Health said
the disorder is caused by low levels of chemical
serotonin in the brain. There has yet to be a fool
proof proven cause.
Kathleen Blackwood, a sophomore business
major, said everyone has certain obsessive
compulsions.
“Everyone is compulsive in some way or
another,” Blackwood said. “When you were little.
— Ashley Pauley
freshman psychology major
things like checking the bed for those green mon
sters every night can be considered compulsive.
It helps people feel more in control, because
they are controlling their own actions and
nobody can stop them.”
Approximately 1 in 50 American adults is
diagnosed with OCD. Most people can be treated
with clinical attention.
OCD usually goes unrecognized in people. The
disorder needs attention when it takes up more
than one hour a day of someone’s time.
Ashley Arnold, a sophomore education major
at Sam Houston State University, said people pick
on her all the time for her compulsive habits.
Arnold said she is obsessed with numbers.
“My alarm clock at night has to be set on a
JILLIAN QUAST • THE BATTALION
number that ends in four, and when I buy gas,
the price has to be ending in a multiple of 25,”
Arnold said. “No matter how hard I try not to
be bothered by numbers, I cannot help it.
Walking up the stairs, I constantly find myself
counting, needing to end my step with an even
number. Another habit I noticed the other day
was subconsciously counting the number of
cars that were the same as mine. I know I count
other things without realizing it, and there’s
nothing 1 can do.”
The Institute lists hand washing, checking
one’s surrounding, organizing, collecting and
counting or repeating things more than the
average person as the five most common obses
sive-compulsive behaviors.
e???
i night
t
(3 minutes f
■rt ex plan ;it 11
i R es.
>m-9pm
5ox Office
rsations at
iisc.tamii.edu
LIO
:f
during the fall and sp«i
iity holidays and exam (*'
!0. POSTMASTER: Se^
X 77843-1111.
diversity in the Divisiw: 1
id McDonald Building**
: httpy/wvw.thebattco*
ament by The Battalion :
Using, call 845-0569X 1
by through Friday. Fax:^
bdent to pick up a si# _
D per school year. $30 f" :
ly Visa, MasteiCaid, Oif
• HTTP://RECSPORTS.TAMU.EDU—Simply everything you
[ need to know about recreation can be found in a new and
improved format for you to get the 411 FAST and EZ! You will
find everything from daily facility updates, operational hours,
I special program information, event schedules and more.
Get Into Spring With Golf
•It's A Great Time To PLAY!—Before those midterms, after those
I midterms or need a study break? The Texas A&M Golf Course
I has 18 holes of golf waiting for you to help you get away from
it all, improve your skills or take on a new challenge. Student
I and twilight rates are available along with a full line of golfing
I apparel in the Pro Shop.
•Golf Lessons With The Course Pro—Make an appointment
| today, plus groups discounts are available. Please call
i 845—1 723 for more information.
Open to the public! We are located on the south side of the Teas A&M
campus. Call the Pro Shop at 845-1723 for tee times or visit us online
for more course and rate information at http://recsports.tamu.edu.
Student Jobs With Rec Sport
•Group Exercise Instructors Needed—For summer and fall, for
more info, call DeAun at Woosley at 862-3995.
•Multimedia Marketing Assistant—Multimedia skills needed,
audio/visual software knowledge preferred. Apply, room 206.
•Personal Trainers Needed—Applications are available in room
202, current Personal Trainer/CPR Certification is required.
•FREE Healthy Living Lectures—Flealthy living is 'a holistic
approach, mind and body go hand and hand. Lectures are in
the Rec, room 281 at 5:30pm. Next lecture is on March 6th,
Eating Healthy During Spring Break.
•Swedish Massage Therapy—One full hour of Swedish mas
sage therapy is only $35 for Rec Members and $45 for affili
ates without a Rec Membership. Appointments are available
every day of the week, register at Member Services.
•FREE Weight Room Orientation—Guided assistance to help
you better understand and utilize your weight room facilities.
Field every Saturday morning. Sign up at Member Services.
•REC SPORTS GIFT CERTIFICATES—Someone hard to shop
for? Rec Sports Gift Certificates are a great idea for a unique
gift for birthdays, gift exchanges or just to surprise someone
special in your life. Available now at Member Services.
•FITNESS INSTRUCTOR TRAINING (FIT) Program—This
six-week course is geared towards the fitness enthusiast with
limited or no experience instructing an aerobics class. Classes
will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6:45pm in
room 304, March 18-April 24th. Registration runs through
March 16th, cost is $50 for Rec Members, $60 for Rec
Affiliates and $70 for the general public. Register early, class
is limited to 40 participants. Last day to sign up is Monday,
March 16th before noon. Register at Member Services.
Contact DeAun Woosely for more information at 862-3995.
reesperts. tamv. edu
Upcoming Events
Late Nite Rock Show
Kayak Roll Clinic
Rock Climb Wknd. Trip
Kayak Open Practice
Registration
Night of Event
Now-April 1
Now—April 2
Now-April 8
Event Date
March 26
April 2
April 5-7
April 9
’Resource Library & Information Available^—Where can I go
camping? How do I plan a week long trip? These kinds of
questions can be answered by visiting TAMU Outdoors
during office hours, taking a look through our resource files
and talking with our experienced staff that will be happy to
answer questions about the Brazos Valley and many other
outdoor adventure sites.
Get Involved With Intramurals
.; ■ ■yr*." 1 ■ ■ — — ^-’v*- •-/
Program
Horseshoes
Golf
CoRec Softball Trnmt.
Registration Cost
March 18-April 2 FREE
March 18—April 2 Greens Charge
March 25—April 2 $20/Team
Refresh With Aquatic
•Lifeguard Training—First session begins April 1 st! Cost starts at
$110. For more info, please call 862-3224.
•Adult Learn To Swim—Learn to swim with an experienced
instructor in a safe and comfortable environment. Register
now through March 17th. Cost starts at $25 for Rec
Members. For more information please contact Charles
Logan at 862-3224.