Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - What Should You Know?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental disorder where a person has recurring uncontrollable thoughts known as obsession and compulsive behaviour that the affected individual repeats over and over again. Such symptoms can interfere with different aspects of life which may include work, education and even personal relationships. Obsessions are the repeated urge or thoughts or mental images leading to tremendous anxiety. On the other hand, compulsions are those behaviours that a person takes part in after encountering an obsessive thought. If you are encountering such symptoms, you should seek medical advice without delay.

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SRIs can help in reducing the symptoms of OCD. Medicines such as sertraline, fluvoxamine, and fluoxetine among others belong to the class of tricyclic depressants that are often recommended by the doctor. Such medicines often require administration of high dosage and may take around 8 to 12 weeks before it can start working while some people experience more rapid improvement. Before taking this medicine, you should comprehend the risks and benefits of taking them and how they are going to affect you.

Individuals suffering from OCD also suffer from tic disorder along with certain symptoms. These motor tics can be described as sudden and brief repeated movements including facial grimacing, shrugging of shoulders, eye movements, and jerking of head or shoulder. Some people also have vocal tics including sniffing, grunting and clearing of throats. The symptoms may affect and then go away or worsen at times. If you are suffering from OCD, you should try to aid yourself by avoiding situations which can trigger your obsessions.

One of the most effective treatments of OCD is cognitive behavioural therapy known as response prevention and exposure. During the treatment session, patients are exposed to the circumstances creating anxiety that propel them to have compulsive behaviour. The exposure helps the patients to reduce and then stop the behaviours that negatively affect their lives. This technique is very effective for people having compulsions related to situations that are easily recreated. It pays to participate in the therapy sessions despite the kind of anxiety it involves. Perseverance is the key here.