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Battling OCD 强迫症知多少

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The most Americans, Howie Mandel appears to be a talented game show host who has it made. Yet few people know that Mandel suffers from a debilitating disorder which can, at times, make his life a living hell. Like four million other adults, Mandel has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

对于多数的美国人而言，豪伊．曼德尔似乎是位才华洋溢且非常成功的竞赛节目主持人。但很少人知道曼德尔饱受一种耗尽他生命的疾病所苦，这种病有时候会让他生不如死。如同其他4百万名美国人一样，曼德尔患有强迫症(OCD)。

OCD is an anxiety disorder which causes people to obsess over unreasonable thoughts and fears. Once a person with OCD gets a thought stuck in their head, it can haunt them for the entire day and trigger a series of repetitive behaviors. Common obsessions including keeping things in perfect order, controlling aggressive impulses, or ensuring that things are clean. For example, someone with OCD might become preoccupied with germs. Throughout their day, they will make trips to the bathroom every five minutes to wash their hands. Although they may realize their thoughts are irrational, this rarely helps. In fact, the more they try to ignore or stop their thoughts, the more distressed they become. The disorder can become so time-consuming that people spend their entire day tending to these compulsions.

强迫症是一种焦虑性的疾病，它使人执着于不合理的想法和恐惧。患有强迫症的人一旦脑中出现了一个念头，该念头就会一整天挥之不去，并引发一连串重复性的行为。常见的强迫性想法包括将物体完美地排放整齐，控制自己侵略性的冲动，或是确定所有的物品都很干净。例如，患有强迫症的人会不断担忧细菌的存在。一整天下来，他们每5分钟就会去洗手间洗手。虽然他们了解他们的想法并不理性，但这并没有什么帮助。事实上，当他们越想忽略或是停止他们的想法，他们会变得越忧虑。这种疾病耗掉患者许多时间，使得他们花一整天的时间处理这些强迫性行为。

OCD can be difficult to cope with, but there are a few effective treatments available. In one therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) OCD patients examine and retrain their thought patterns to eliminate these unwanted behaviors. Gradually, patients are exposed to their fears and taught how to deal with their anxieties, and minimize their discomfort. On other cases, antidepressants are prescribed to OCD patients to boost serotonin levels and help them relax. With some medical assistance, it’s possible for people with OCD to greatly enhance the quality of their lives.

强迫症可能会很难应付，但仍有一些有效的治疗方式。在一种称做CBT的认知行为疗法中，强迫症患者审视并重新训练他们的思考模式以去除那些不必要的行为。患者会渐渐的被暴露在他们的恐惧之下，并被教导如何处理他们的焦虑及如何减低他们的痛苦。在其他的案例中，抗忧郁药物会开给强迫症病患以提升血清素浓度，并帮助患者放松。有了这些医疗帮助，强迫症患者有可能可以大大提升他们的生活质量。

－by Jamie Blackler

Vocabulary

单词发音

debilitating [dɪˋbɪlə͵tetɪŋ] adj. 使人衰弱的

anxiety [æŋˋzaɪətɪ] n. 焦虑

obsess [əbˋsɛs] v. 使着迷; 使缠绕; 使心神不宁

haunt [hɔnt] v. 萦绕在……心头；使困扰

repetitive [rɪˋpɛtɪtɪv] adj.〔做事〕重复的; 反复的

obsession [əbˋsɛʃən] n. 困扰人的想法; 无法摆脱的意念; 着迷; 着魔

impulse [ˋɪmpʌls] n. 冲动，一时的念头

ensure [ɪnˋʃʊr] v. 保证；确保

preoccupied [priˋɑkjə͵paɪd] adj. 心事重重的

irrational [ɪˋræʃən!] adj.〔行为﹑感受等〕不合理的; 荒谬的

distressed [dɪˋstrɛst] adj. 痛苦的；忧伤的

compulsion [kəmˋpʌlʃən] n.〔难以克制的〕强烈欲望; 冲动

cognitive [ˋkɑgnətɪv] adj. 认知的；认识的

discomfort [dɪsˋkʌmfɚt] n. 不舒服，不适；不安

antidepressant [͵æntɪdɪˋprɛsənt] n. 抗抑郁剂

prescribe [prɪˋskraɪb] v. 开（药方）

boost [bust] v. 帮助；促进

serotonin [͵sɛrəˋtonɪn] n.（血液中的）血清素

assistance [əˋsɪstəns] n. 援助，帮助

Idiom

片语发音

have it made 成功 have achieved success, have everything you want

cope with 对付；处理 come to terms with

Reading Questions

1.    What does this passage imply about Howie Mandel?

(A)  He is not as successful as most people think.

(B)  He refuses to seek any treatments for his disorder.

(C)  He suffers from an illness which makes his life more difficult.

(D)  He has decided to make his life a living hell to increase TV ratings.

2.    Which of the following actions wouldn’t indicate that a person had OCD?

(A)  Putting their groceries in alphabetical order.

(B)  Checking their bank balance every few hours.

(C)  Making sure their door is locked several times.

(D)  Changing their shirt and pants every day of the week.

3.    Where would this article most likely appear?

(A)  In a free pamphlet at a psychologist’s office.

(B)  In a medical journal about contagious diseases.

(C)  On a website that features gossip about celebrities.

(D)  In a newspaper article about aggressive behavior.

Howie Mandel Talks About Living With OCD

What is OCD?

Treatments for OCD

Answer