Find a therapist that has experience treating OCD or related disorders. Search by either asking your regular physician, getting a referral from family or friends, or try using this handy psychologist locator from the American Psychological Association Make sure that this is a person you feel comfortable with and has the credentials required to meet your needs. It is important to see a professional for diagnosis, as there are other problems that have similar symptoms to OCD. Your physician can refer you, but a qualified mental health professional should conduct the diagnosis. There are two groups of OCD symptoms, obsessions and compulsions. Obsessive symptoms are constant, tenacious and undesirable thoughts, impulses or images that trigger feelings of anguish or apprehension. You may feel thoughts or images keep popping up even though you try to avoid them or shut them down. Compulsion symptoms are the behaviors that you perform in order to cope with the concern linked to obsessions. These are the behaviors that supposedly prevent the fear from coming true, and they often appear as rules or rituals. Together, obsessions and compulsions create characteristic patterns like the following: Those who fear contamination and the spread of dirt, usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions. Others repeatedly check things (that the door is locked, or the oven is turned off, etc.) that they associate with potential danger. Some fear that if everything isn't done just right that something terrible will happen to themselves or loved ones. Many become obsessed with order and symmetry. They frequently have superstitions about certain orders and arrangements. Then, there are those who are afraid that bad things will come if they throw anything away. This makes them compulsively keep things around that they do not need (like broken objects or old newspapers). This condition is called Compulsive Hoarding. To be diagnosed with OCD, you must have obsessions and compulsions on most days for at least two weeks. Alternately, you may be diagnosed with OCD if your obsessions and compulsions have a significant impact on your daily life (for example, you are so afraid of germs that you wash your hands so often they bleed and you cannot touch anything that is outside your house). This sort of therapy focuses on exposure and response prevention (ERP), which means that your therapist will expose you to the things that you fear or obsess over, and then will help you to come up with healthy ways to cope with these anxieties. Therapy sessions may consist of one-on-one sessions, family therapy sessions, or group sessions. This may be a process of trial and error, and in some cases, you may find that a combination of drugs are more effective at combating your symptoms than one drug by itself. A commonly prescribed type of drug is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), like citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and escitalopram (Lexapro). These drugs increase the activity of the neurotransmitter that helps balance mood and lower stress (serotonin). Another regularly prescribed drug is the tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) clomipramine, which has been approved by the FDA for treating OCD. SSRIs are usually prescribed over clomipramine because they have fewer adverse side effects. Never stop taking any medication without consulting the prescribing doctor. This can cause a relapse of your symptoms and withdrawal-like side effects.
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One-sentence summary -- Choose a therapist. Get a diagnosis for OCD. Work with a psychotherapist to control your compulsive behaviors. Talk to your doctor about finding a suitable medication.

Q: Inflation is an increase in the prices of goods and services, so it has an effect on your cost of living. High inflation, for instance, often means an increase in food, utility, and gas prices. People tend to buy less during periods of high inflation because these periods mean higher prices. A wide range of factors determine the inflation of currency. In the U.S., the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a monthly report following and calculating inflation. You can find a month-by-month breakdown of U.S. inflation rates for the past fifteen years here. To determine the effect inflation has on your increased salary, simply subtract the rate of inflation from the increase percentage you calculated in Part 1. For example, the average inflation rate in 2014 was 1.6%. Using the 11.1% increase rate calculated in Part 1, you would determine the effect of inflation on the raise like so: 11.1% - 1.6% = 9.5%. This means that once you take into account the inflated prices of standard goods and services, the increase is only worth an extra 9.5% because the money is worth 1.6% less than the previous year. In other words, it took on average 1.6% more money in 2014 to buy the same items as in 2013. Purchasing power refers to the comparative costs of goods and services over time. For instance, say you have the salary of $50,000 per year from Part 1. Now say that inflation stays at a flat 0% the year you get the raise, but rises 1.6% the following year without you receiving another raise. This means it will take you an additional 1.6% to purchase the same basic goods and services. 1.6% of $50,000 is equal to 0.016 x 50,000 = $800. Your overall purchasing power based on inflation actually decreased by $800 over the previous year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an easy-to-use calculator for comparing purchasing power between years. You can find it at: http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
A: Understand inflation. Look up inflation. Subtract the inflation rate from your increase percentage. Relate the effect of inflation to purchasing power.

Article: Being in a wheelchair does not mean the person is paralyzed or incapable of taking a few steps. Some people only use wheelchairs because they cannot stand for extended periods, or have a walking restriction problem. Often, people with heart conditions will use wheelchairs to avoid overexertion. If you are curious about why a person is using a wheelchair, it's better to ask than to assume. Consider adding a qualifier to the beginning of the question, so the person can easily decline if they feel uncomfortable. For example, "Do you mind my asking why you use a wheelchair?" Only ask a wheelchair user why they use a wheelchair after you've become familiar. This question is not appropriate from strangers. If a person using a wheelchair is accompanied by someone else, involve that person in the conversation also, but not in place of the person using the wheelchair. For example, do not direct questions about the person using the wheelchair to the person accompanying them. When in a long conversation with someone in a chair, sit down. It is very tiring--even painful--for a person in a wheelchair to have to stare up at you. Patting or leaning on the chair may be interpreted as disrespectful. The person may be using a wheelchair because of an injury, so your touch may be painful in addition to patronizing. Equally, do not touch the person in any way. Treat a wheelchair as an extension of a person's body. If you wouldn't put your hand on that person's shoulder, then don't put your hand on their wheelchair unnecessarily. Always respect a wheelchair user's personal space.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Avoid making presumptions about others' abilities. Speak directly to a person using a wheelchair. Ask permission before touching the person or their wheelchair.