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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by a pattern of unwanted thoughts and anxieties (obsessions), which cause you to engage in repetitive actions (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions disrupt daily life and cause severe distress.
You can try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but this will just make your distress and anxiety worse. Finally, you feel compelled to engage in obsessive behavior in order to alleviate your tension. Despite efforts to avoid or eliminate unwanted thoughts or urges, they return. This results in additional ritualistic behavior – the OCD vicious circle.
OCD frequently revolves around certain themes, such as an obsessive fear of being contaminated by germs. To alleviate your contamination anxieties, you may wash your hands obsessively until they are raw and chapped.
If you have OCD, you may feel humiliated and embarrassed about it, but treatment is available.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF OCD?
Obsessions and compulsions are common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, it is possible to have only obsession or simply compulsion symptoms. You may or may not realize that your obsessions and compulsions are excessive or unjustified, but they consume a significant amount of your time and interfere with your daily routine as well as social, school, or work functioning.
Symptoms of Obsession
OCD obsessions are intrusive, recurrent, and unwelcome thoughts, urges, or pictures that create anguish or worry. You could try to ignore them or eliminate them by engaging in a compulsive action or ritual. These obsessions usually interfere with your ability to think or perform other things.
Obsessions frequently have themes, such as:
- Concerns about contamination or dirt
- Doubt and inability to tolerate uncertainty
- Things must be ordered and symmetrical.
- Aggressive or terrifying thoughts of losing control and injuring yourself or others
- Unwanted ideas, such as aggressiveness or sexual or religious themes
The following are some examples of obsessive signs and symptoms:
- When objects aren't neatly arranged or facing the right way, it causes a lot of tension.
- Images of crashing your automobile into a crowd
- Consider yelling obscenities or behaving badly in public.
- Fear of becoming contaminated by touching goods that have been touched by others
- You're not sure if you've secured the door or turned off the burner.
- Sexually repulsive images
- Avoiding situations that can set off obsessions, such as shaking hands
Symptoms of compulsion
Compulsions associated with OCD are repetitive activities that you feel compelled to perform. These recurrent behaviors or mental acts are intended to alleviate anxiety caused by your obsessions or to prevent something negative from happening. Compulsions, on the other hand, provide no pleasure and may only provide momentary reprieve from tension.
When you have obsessive thoughts, you can make up rules or rituals to assist control your worry. These compulsions are extreme and frequently unrelated to the problem they are meant to solve.
Compulsions, like obsessions, usually have a theme, such as:
- Cleaning and washing
- Checking
- Counting
- Orderliness
- Maintaining a rigorous routine
- Needing reassurance
The following are some examples of compulsive signs and symptoms:
- Washing your hands till your skin turns raw
- Checking doors to ensure they are locked on a regular basis
- Checking the stove to make sure it's turned off
- Counting in specific patterns
- Repeating a prayer, statement, or phrase silently
- Organizing your canned goods so that they all face the same direction.
The severity varies
OCD typically begins in adolescence or young adulthood, however it can begin in childhood. Symptoms typically appear gradually and vary in severity throughout life. The kinds of obsessions and compulsions you have can also alter throughout time. When you are under more stress, your symptoms will likely intensify. OCD, which is typically thought to be a lifelong illness, can have mild to moderate symptoms can be so severe and time-consuming that it is crippling.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF OCD?
The cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder is unknown. Among the major theories are:
- Biology: OCD could be caused by changes in your body's natural chemistry or brain functioning.
- Genetics: OCD may be inherited, however particular genes have yet to be found.
- Learning: Obsessive anxieties and obsessive behaviors can be learnt through observation of family members or gradually over time.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS OF OCD?
The following factors may raise the chance of acquiring or initiating obsessive-compulsive disorder:
- Family history: Having parents or other family members with OCD can raise your chances of developing the illness.
- Life experiences that are stressful: Your risk may increase if you've been through traumatic or stressful experiences. This reaction may, for whatever reason, set off the intrusive thoughts, rituals, and emotional anguish associated with OCD.
- Other mental health problems: Other mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance misuse, or tic disorders, may be associated with OCD.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can cause a variety of issues, including:
- Excessive time spent on ritualistic activities
- Issues with health, such as contact dermatitis from excessive hand-washing
- Attendance at work, school, or social engagements is difficult.
- Relationship problems
- Poor overall quality of life
- Suicidal ideation and behavior
HOW IS OCD DIAGNOSED?
The following steps may be taken to assist in the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder:
- Psychological evaluation: This includes talking about your thoughts, feelings, symptoms, and behavior patterns to see if you have obsessive or compulsive habits that are interfering with your quality of life. This may include chatting to your family or friends with your permission.
- OCD diagnostic criteria: Your doctor may use criteria from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
- Physical examination: This may be done to rule out any issues that could be causing your symptoms and to look for any complications.
Diagnostic difficulties
OCD can be difficult to diagnose since symptoms can mimic obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, or other mental health illnesses. It is also possible to have OCD as well as another mental health problem. Cooperate with your doctor to obtain an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR OCD?
Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder may not result in a cure, but it can help put symptoms under control so that they do not dominate your everyday life. Some patients may require long-term, continuous, or more intensive treatment depending on the severity of their OCD.
Psychotherapy and medicines are the two basic therapies for OCD. Treatment is often most effective when a combination of these is used.
Psychotherapy
Many patients with OCD benefit from cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT), a type of psychotherapy. A component of CBT therapy called exposure and response prevention (ERP) includes gradually exposing you to a feared object or preoccupation, such as dirt, and teaching you how to resist the temptation to do your compulsive rituals. ERP requires effort and practice, but once you learn to manage your obsessions and compulsions, you may enjoy a higher quality of life.
Medications
Certain psychiatric drugs can aid in the control of OCD obsessions and compulsions. Antidepressants are frequently tried first.
The following antidepressants have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of OCD:
- Adults and children aged 10 and up should take clomipramine (Anafranil).
- Fluoxetine (Prozac) is prescribed for adults and children aged 7 and up.
- Fluvoxamine is prescribed for adults and children aged 8 and up.
- Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) is only for adults.
- Sertraline (Zoloft) is prescribed for adults and children aged 6 and up.
Your doctor may, however, prescribe more antidepressants and mental drugs.
What to Consider When Choosing Medications
Here are some points to talk with your doctor concerning OCD medications:
- Selecting a medicine: In general, the goal is to successfully control symptoms while using the least amount of medication. It is fairly uncommon to test numerous medications before finding one that works effectively. To properly control your symptoms, your doctor may recommend more than one medicine. It can take weeks or months to observe an improvement in symptoms after starting a drug.
- Side effects: All psychiatric drugs may cause negative effects. Consult your doctor about potential side effects and any health monitoring that may be required while taking mental medications. Also, notify your doctor if you notice any troubling side effects.
- Risk of suicide: Although most antidepressants are typically safe, the FDA requires that all antidepressants have black box warnings, the most stringent prescription cautions. Children, teenagers, and young adults under the age of 25 may experience an increase in suicide thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants, particularly in the first few weeks or when the dose is altered. If you have suicidal thoughts, call your doctor or seek emergency care right away. Keep in mind that antidepressants, by increasing mood, are more likely to minimize suicide risk in the long run.
- Interactions with other substances: Tell your doctor about any additional prescription or over-the-counter drugs, herbs, or vitamins you use when taking an antidepressant. When coupled with certain drugs or herbal supplements, some antidepressants can make other prescriptions less effective and create hazardous responses.
- Stopping antidepressants: Antidepressants are not considered addictive, but physical dependence (which is not the same as addiction) can occur. As a result, abruptly discontinuing medication or skipping several doses can result in withdrawal-like symptoms known as discontinuation syndrome. Even if you're feeling better, don't stop taking your medication without consulting your doctor; you could experience a resurgence of OCD symptoms. Work with your doctor to reduce your dose gradually and carefully.
Discuss the risks and advantages of using specific drugs with your doctor.
Other treatment
Psychotherapy and drugs are not always effective in controlling OCD symptoms. Other treatments may be offered in treatment-resistant cases:
- Residential and intensive outpatient treatment programs: Comprehensive treatment programs using ERP therapy concepts may be beneficial for those with OCD who struggle to function due to the severity of their symptoms. These programs usually last a few weeks.
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS): The FDA has approved DBS to treat OCD in persons aged 18 and up who have not responded to standard treatment techniques. DBS includes the placement of electrodes in specific parts of your brain. These electrodes generate electrical impulses that may aid in the regulation of aberrant impulses.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): When traditional treatment options were ineffective, the FDA approved a specialized device (BrainsWay Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) to treat OCD in people aged 22 to 68 years. TMS is a noninvasive therapy that uses magnetic fields to activate nerve cells in the brain in order to alleviate OCD symptoms. An electromagnetic coil is placed against your scalp near your forehead during a TMS session. The electromagnet sends a magnetic pulse to your brain, stimulating nerve cells.
If you're considering DBS or TMS, consult with your doctor to ensure you understand all of the pros and cons, as well as any potential health hazards.
HOME REMEDIES FOR OCD
Because obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic condition, it may remain with you for the rest of your life. While professional treatment is recommended for OCD, you can help yourself by doing the following:
- Put everything you've learned into practice: Work with your mental health practitioner to find and practice tactics and skills that will help you manage your symptoms.
- Take your meds exactly as prescribed: Even if you're feeling fine, avoid the urge to skip your meds. If you stop, your OCD symptoms will most certainly return.
- Keep an eye out for warning indications: You and your doctor may have discovered potential triggers for your OCD symptoms. Make a strategy for what to do if the symptoms reoccur. If you notice any changes in your symptoms or how you feel, contact your doctor or therapist.
- Before using any additional medications, consult your doctor first: To avoid potential interactions, consult the doctor who is treating you for OCD before taking any prescriptions recommended by another doctor or any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbal remedies, or other supplements.
CONCLUSION
OCD does not go away on its own, so discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Be open about any obsessions or compulsions you have and how they effect your life. CBT and drugs can help you control your symptoms, allowing you to work, participate in social activities, and feel more productive.