Various Methods for Treating OCD

Everyone is capable in feeling uneasy, anxious, fearful or uncertain over things sometimes. This is just normal emotional feedback from our system which helps us open up our minds and think over possible solutions to problems that are encountered every day. Often, these feelings do not last long, but for people who are experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these feelings continue for excessive time and need to be put to an end. Instead of keeping normal worry in perspective, there is a constant stream of doubt or uncertainty in the person's mind. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts. We all have habits and routines in our daily lives, such as taking a bath. However, for people with OCD, patterns of behavior become so strict that they get in the way of daily life.

Doctors and scientists do not know exactly what causes OCD. Experts show that it may be caused by chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One of these chemicals is called serotonin. When the proper flow of serotonin is blocked, the brain overacts and misinterprets the information. Many people who have OCD can function better when they take medicines that increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. Before these drugs, OCD was thought to be difficult to treat, but now it is a lot easier. OCD affects people of all ages. Some adults with OCD say their symptoms started when they were young, but that their condition didn't get recognized until they were older. That could be because they didn't tell anyone about their symptoms, or people were less aware of OCD and how to treat it. Just like any other illness, OCD can be treated so that people can get relief from the symptoms. Although OCD was once thought of as difficult to treat, in reality, more than two-thirds of people respond well to treatment for OCD, which includes medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, surgery and self-help strategies.

Research shows that several medicines are accessible to treat OCD. These medicines, like clomipramine, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine and fluvoxamine are also used to treat depression . Medicines do not always work in people with OCD. Thus, there are other treatments that can help, using the guidance of trained therapists. These different methods that can be used to treat a patient with OCD are: talk therapy, psychotherapy, family therapy, and psychosurgery.

Talk therapy is also known as a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), this kind of treatment is for obsessive compulsive behavior. It helps people to use their own behavioral power to alter their thoughts to put the mind into a better state. It includes techniques for relaxation such as self-talk to relieve existing symptoms. For children having OCD, psychotherapy is often the first remedy to try. It is verified to be a successful treatment for OCD in many cases because it focuses on altering the obsessive and compulsive behavior . A person with OCD is likely to be facing some social criticisms, even from within their own family . Thus, family therapy is useful for treating OCD. The family is a big help for a member with OCD if they are able to understand about the nature of the disorder. In severe cases of OCD, psychosurgery is considered. This is when the signs and symptoms of the disorder are now devastating and are unresponsive to all other treatment alternatives available. Psychosurgery involves cutting certain parts of the brain with the use of an electrode.

Having OCD doesn't mean a person is crazy and having it is not the fault of the individual. For those who think they have OCD, it is better to go to the doctor so that the illness can be treated. It should not be embarrassing to go to doctor and seek treatment. But not every OCD treatment works for every person. Some may respond very well to one type, while others require a combination of therapies. So, to be sure to have the best results in treating OCD, a combination of medication and therapies should be considered.