How to Control OCD

How to Control OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be defined as a chronic anxiety disorder.  OCD is suffering from abnormal and unwanted thoughts or perceptions called obsessions. They force a person to do some actions and behaviours habitually known as compulsions. For example, an obsession a person can have is the extreme fear of dirt and germs – causing him to spend long hours cleaning up. Obsessive compulsive disorder affects the person’s life, such as work, school and social life.

How to control obsessive-compulsive disorder

Unfortunately, there is no cure for OCD. However, you should consult your doctor about treatment options to control and reduce the symptoms. Below are treatment methods to control OCD:

Coping and self-care

Coping with an obsessive-compulsive disorder is a challenge and below are a few tips to cope with it,

  • Understand and learn about disease.
  • Joining a support group; they are groups that include a number of people suffering from the same problem, who provide support and assistance to each other.
  • Make sure to get plenty of sleep and rest.
  • Exercising regularly, and trying to find a suitable way to release energy, such as hobbies and recreational activities.
  • Try to reduce stress by practicing relaxation exercises such as meditation, massage, and yoga.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is done individually or in groups. Cognitive behavioural therapy is considered one of the types of psychotherapy, and its principle is based on teaching a person how to deal with obsessions and compulsive behaviours that make his life short. One of the most important forms of cognitive behavioural therapy is what is known as exposure and response prevention. This depends on gradually exposing the victim to his fears or concerns. While also teaching him how to deal with these fears and reduce the stress that comes with them.  

Drug treatment

Drug therapy is one of the methods of treating OCD. It is considered as an antidepressant. This is the first line of medicine in the treatment of OCD. In fact there are many medicines that are categorized as antidepressants. Therefore, the doctor chooses the appropriate medicine among them based on your age, health and symptoms you have. Examples of antidepressants are clomipramine, Fluoxetine and Paroxetine. It should be noted that in order for you to start seeing results it could take about 2 months until the patient starts feeling better. They could also cause some side effects such as Nausea, Dry mouth or even suicidal thoughts.

Other treatments

There are other treatment options that are still under study that can be used if the OCD is severe. This is if the patient does not show any response to any of the possible drug options.

Deep brain stimulation

Surgical implant cathodes there’s an attempt to control the symptoms of obsessive – compulsive disorder in the brain.

Electric shock therapy

This can also be known as electroconvulsive therapy. This type of treatment is still used until now. Even despite the fear of patients to undergo it because it was performed without anaesthesia and with high electrical doses. However, now it is safer and performed under general anaesthesia. Hereby, electrodes are placed on the victim’s head and exposed to simple electrical currents, with the goal of changing the chemistry of the brain, and treating many intractable mental disorders.

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder cause the person to become

  • upset
  • anxious,
  • need to be tidy
  • have harmful thoughts
  • Unwanted sexual thoughts.
  • Cleaning
  • counting
  • over-organizing

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