Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

There is no diagnostic test to confirm the presence of OCD in a patient. OCD diagnosis is based on the assessment of the patient s symptoms, for example, by noticing how much time the patient is spending on performing the ritual behaviors.

OCD is a mental condition that cannot be prevented. But an early diagnosis and treatment of the condition prevent OCD from worsening and helps the patient from suffering any further.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications are used for treating OCD initially. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the specific technique of cognitive behavioral therapy which has shown the strongest evidence for the treatment of OCD. In ERP method, the patient confronts the fears and discontinues the escape response. Both CBT therapy and medications may be used as a conjunction therapy for an effective approach to treat OCD. Electroconvulsive therapy is used in OCD patients in severe cases or in patients who do not respond to cognitive and medication therapy.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs frequently used for treating OCD. Few tricyclic antidepressants (like clomipramine) are also used for the management of OCD but they have a higher rate of side effects. Medicines belonging to the atypical antipsychotic category of drugs also have been shown to be effective in the treatment of OCD, either alone or as conjunction therapy with SSRI.