EXAMPLE
Basic Speech Outline
Name: Student
Topic: O.C.D
General Purpose: Informative
Specific Purpose: How to control the symptoms of OCD.
Thesis/Central Idea: OCD is a common psychiatric illness that can affect people’s lives.
I. Introduction (:30)
A. Attention Getter: Germs! Germs! They’re everywhere! My hands are dirty I have to wash them. This is about the 50 th time today I wash my hands. What is wrong with me?
Hi everyone, I’m a patient with OCD.
B. Topic:
C. Thesis:
Today I’m going to tell you about OCD
OCD is a common psychiatric illness that can affect people’s lives.
D. Preview / Roadmap: I’m going to tell you the causes of OCD, symptoms, and treatments.
II. Main Point 1 (1:30 )
A. Intro to point : OCD is known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder is commonly characterized by: obsessive, distress, intrusive thoughts, compulsive tasks and rituals to satisfy the obsession.
B. Main Idea: The abnormalities in the brain are believed the causes of OCD.
1. Evidence: According to Wikipedia on September 25, 2007, that there is some type of abnormality in the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical neurotransmitter that transmits information from one nerve to another throughout the brain. It is released by one nerve ending also known as synapses, and is picked up by another nerve ending. After a message is sent, enzymes in the brain clean the serotonin out of the synapses.
C. Main Idea: Patients with OCD have damaged receptor sites and is blocked to prevent sertonin to function potentially.
D. Big Point: As Medline Plus explains, on September 25, 2007, recent data shows, that about 7 millions Americans are diagnose with OCD. About the age of 20 to 30 is when the symptoms are noticed by the abnormalities in the brain.
E. Transition: We now know how OCD is believed caused by damage receptor sites in the brain, but what are the symptoms of an OCD patient.
III. Main Point 2 (1:30)
A. Intro to point: OCD symptoms vary in many different forms. Have you ever turn off an oven and know that you turn it off, but once you leave the house you are thinking if the oven is turn off? This is one of the symptoms of OCD. These patients do not realize that what they are suffering from is OCD.
B. Main Idea: The symptoms include: repeated hand washing, clearing throat (when there isn’t anything to be cleared), the need for either sides of the body to feel even or odd (ex. If one hand gets wet, the other must be wet also) counting systems (such as counting in groups, grouping objects in odd and even numbers), aligning objects, fear of

EXAMPLE
Basic Speech Outline contamination by human body such as saliva, sweat, tears, vomit, mucus, and even the soap that is being used.
1. Evidence: According to BDASUN, an article wrote by Nigel Reagan, on May
27, 2006, there are many celebrities diagnose with OCD. Celebrities such as, Howie
Mandel (Deal or No Deal), who is terrified of germs, David Beckham, spending hours straightening and aligning objects, TV hit-show Desperate Housewife, Bree Van de
Kamp, that everything has to be in the right place and her idea of the perfect family. The list goes on and on.
C. Main Idea: These obsessions become time consuming and can interfere with work and relationships. There is no time to do your daily activities, and the fear of the symptoms can trap you inside your house.
D. Big Point: OCD can lead to depression over time if patients do not seek for help. This disorder leads to many symptoms that sometimes are never heard of, but no one is alone in this world, until you find help.
E. Transition: Many people are too embarrassed by their symptoms to seek treatment, and they go for years before seeing a doctor. However, there is no cure from this disorder
, but there are treatments that can reduced the symptoms.
IV. Main Point 3 (1:30)
A.
Intro to point: The treatments that OCD patients used are to only help reduced their symptoms and are not curable. There are two types of treatments:
B.
Main idea: OCD is treated by drug therapy. There are many drugs such as Paxil,
Aropax, Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil.
1. Evidence: According to Healthy Place, on September 27, 2007 that Each of the
Anti-OCD drugs interfere with the Serotonin being recycled once it has been released, and this allows it to spend more time outside the cell, where it can continue affecting neighboring cells, thus doing its job longer.
C.
Main Idea: Another type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy exposes the patient to her or his obsess ional fear and then delays their compulsive response. Then over a period of time the person learns to become less and less afraid and anxious by their fears they learn to handle the anxiety.
1. Evidence: According to Dr. Schwartz, who studied OCD patients, he wrote a book,
Brain Lock, and explains that he believes patients must learn not to give in to their feelings and obsessions. By resisting the rituals, no matter how hard that is to do, the patient is learning a proper response to normal behavior. Whatever the person does regularly, good or bad behavior, the brain picks up and does automatically. So, if that behavior is good behavior the brain's chemistry will start to change.
D. Big Point: However these treatments only control obsession and compulsion, and unfortunately do not cure the disorder.
V. Conclusion (:30)
A. Recap : There are many OCD patients in this world, but to overcome the obsession
OCD patient must learn to not give in.
B. Thesis & Topic: OCD is a psychiatric disorder cannot be cure, but finding ways to control your symptoms by getting help, and overcome your disorder will make your life a better way to live.

EXAMPLE
Basic Speech Outline
C. Lasting Message / Impression: It is not easy to be an OCD patient, sitting here and having the compulsion and obsession take over your life will make you miserable. Help is the only way to help you to overcome the fear of your obsessions.
D. Link to Attention Getter: I hope everyone understands about my disorder, and if you know someone who has OCD please ask them to seek help. They will thank you for making their life a much easier way to live.
Bibliography
BDASUN. Stars Who are Struck by Disorder. http://www.bermudasun.bm/main . 27 May 2006.
Healthy Place OCD Community. http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/ocd/sandra/treatment.htm
27 September
2007.
MedlinePlus. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000929.htm
25 September 2007.
Schwarts, Jeffery M.D. Brain Lock. 12 March 1997.
Wikipedia. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. www.wikipedia.com
25 September 2007.