Don't Worry We Have Solutions

So you might be a little OCD. That's okay! Everyone has their own personal quirks that make them who they are. If, on the other hand, your obsessions start to take over your day-to-day life, then maybe it's time to take some action and seek outside help. Consider the following list of suitable treatments:

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

The most generally accepted form of therapy directly exposes patients to their obsessions and looks to find preventative measures. During the sessions, patients are encouraged to expose themselves to situations that evoke the compulsive act and then abstain from performing the ritual. This can be very stressful to some patients, but you have to remember you'll be with a professional who you can trust. The important characteristic of this therapy is to teach patients how to handle their anxiety of not being able to perform their ritual until the need is extinguished. Patients who are just starting out with this therapy are suggested to attend sessions 15-20 times in the first three weeks to really make a break through.

Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive restructuring can help patients that have relapsed before and can eliminate dysfunctional beliefs that potentially impede a patient's obsessions. The cognitive and behavioural methods focus on the idea of "personal responsibility" many patients seem to possess. An example of this would be, "if I don't wash my hands my child will become deathly ill." By narrowing in on those obsessions, therapists can try and help modify dysfunctional beliefs in the hopes of returning the patient's responsibility to a healthy level. When CBT is performed in a clinical setting with a trained professional, the results have proven effective.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

Another form of therapy is psychoanalytic, in which the mode of treatment resembles that prescribed to other patients experiencing phobias or generalized anxiety disorders. Here, the idea is that the therapist wants to help remove whatever is causing the obsession, be it repressed emotions or hidden fears. In this line of treatment, the obsessions are thought to protect the mind from any repressed conflict. This can be very tedious and to date this form of therapy has not yet proven totally effective. That being said, it has worked for some patients. 

Biological Treatment

I decided to present this form of treatment last because treating disorders with medication is perceived as a negative approach to many, but it is still a viable option nonetheless. Drugs that increase the serotonin levels in the brain are most commonly given to patients with OCD. As with psychoanalytic therapy, only some patients respond completely to the prescribed medication. Some therapists advise that medication be the last option when treating OCD and it should be well monitored by a professional with some other form of therapy in conjunction. Some of the prescribed medications include:

• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox
• Phenelzne (Nardil)
• Sertalin (Zoloft)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)

More information on medication: http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information

M

Davison, G. Blankstein, K. Flett, G. Neale, J. 2010. Abnormal Psychology (Fourth Canadian Edition). Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada. p.188-196