OCD
What is OCD?
OCD symptoms develop with time when you experience such behaviors and actions repeatedly. It can seriously affect your daily functioning and quality of life whereas OCD treatment involves therapy and medication management that gradually decreases the OCD factor in the patient and improves their mental well-being.
OCD Symptoms
Most individuals with OCD exhibit both obsessions and compulsions, but it’s possible to experience only one symptom type. Additionally, some people with OCD may have a co-occurring tic disorder, characterized by uncontrollable movements or vocalizations. The manifestation of OCD symptoms can vary across individuals.
People with OCD show both obsessions and compulsions, but they can experience any one of the following OCD symptom types. These symptoms vary according to the person’s mental health condition and situation. OCD is a life-long mental health condition and the symptoms come and go away with time when treated with the right therapy and medications. People experience different obsessions and compulsions. Here are some common signs:
Obsessions
Obsessions include unwanted thoughts, mental images, and urges to do things over again. These are:
- Excessive worry about yourself and others
- Constant blinking, breathing, or body sensations.
- Excessive worry about getting contaminated
- Losing or forgetting things
- Distressing thoughts about violence, religion, and physical intimacy
- Excessive checks on things to be symmetrical or orderly
Compulsions
Compulsions are the uncontrollable acts you do even though you don’t want to. These can be physical or mental acts that compel you to take action on the things that you are obsessed with, or are unnecessary. Including:
- Doing tasks in a specific order every time or keeping rigid routines
- Unnecessary checks or counting things like bottles, steps, numbers, etc.
- Excessive cleaning and washing
- Arranging things in an orderly manner
- Repeated checks on doors, locks, appliances, etc
- Constantly seeking validation and approval
OCD Treatment
If you have obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors then getting an OCD help may help you find relief and a ray of hope. An evaluation is conducted to understand what kind of symptoms are present in the patient. Current symptoms, history, unwanted thoughts, experiences, and medical background checks are the necessary questions that may be asked before diagnosing the present OCD symptoms. It helps in creating the exact OCD treatment plan or therapy for the patient. While there are various treatment therapies available that can effectively reduce OCD symptoms and bring betterment in oneself, an effective combination of OCD medication and CBT therapy is recommended.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for OCD can be one of the ways to decrease the thoughts and behaviors of the patient. Patients may expose themselves to the situation of obsessions and compulsions when they go through CBT therapy, which helps them resist those urges and stabilize their mental health condition gradually.
There are some OCD treatments including acceptance and commitment therapy, inference-based CBT, mindfulness practices, and exposure and response prevention. Most OCD treatment plans are completely personalized according to the individual’s mental health condition. In most cases, a combination of therapy, medication, and other effective approaches, some patients gradually start to cope with OCD symptoms and disorders with continual practice and improve their daily life functioning with clear thoughts and actions.
Benefits of OCD Treatment
In most cases, getting life-changing OCD treatments through different approaches like therapies, medications, and practices might bring several advantages.
Your healthcare doctor diagnoses, prescribes, and manages medication that helps in improving OCD conditions effectively. Close monitoring and follow-up appointments show daily progress in minimizing OCD symptoms. A positive environment and open communication with patients are necessary for treating OCD conditions with appropriate therapies and medications. With care and therapy, you will be heading to a path of healing, purpose, and positivity.
