Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder which can be characterized by an obsession for a particular thought or compulsion for a particular activity.
Some of these activities include washing hands, clothing, checking doors repeatedly, counting and praying, persisting depressed mood and guilty feeling.
Though a definite reason behind this disorder hasn’t been ascertained yet, but stress aggravates it. It affects both men and women equally irrespective of their age groups. But if not addressed on time, it can worsen the condition.
Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
The first step towards the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD is in unrevealing the root cause which is in most of the cases is a fear of something which compels you to develop obsession.
This is your unconscious way of shooing away those unpleasant thoughts that are disturbing you. Once the cause of anxiety is discovered, the mode of treatment is decided on the basis of the severity of your condition.
For mild cases of OCD, counseling and cognitive therapy is used which addresses the negative thoughts that are disturbing you. If the case is severe than that, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is used to cure you.
Primarily, the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) starts with psychotherapy or counseling. In this case your counselor will educate you and your family members about the issues related to this psychological disorder so that the distressed family members have complete knowledge of causes, symptoms and different techniques of treatment.
Another therapy is relaxation where your facilitator would teach you to calm yourself down in the bouts of attacks. Another technique is named self-talk where you are instructed to talk to yourself and guide you out of your disorder.
When you make yourself convinced that whatever negative thoughts you host are unrealistic, it works best. If your case is severe, you may need a dual treatment of psychotherapy along with medications.
Researches have revealed that the lower level of serotonin, the neurotransmitters, play a role in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). So serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil are prescribed.
But above all, what required most is the family support. As it is, as a patient of OCD, you are already marginalized in social gatherings. But often family does not support you either. They prohibit you from attending any gathering or function.
This only worsens the case. Instead, it is very important to accompany the sufferer in these sessions. This will help you become more responsible and conscious of your surroundings.
