Symptoms
People with OCD tend to perform the following rituals (compulsions) to alleviate their stress and anxiety related to the disorder.
Typical symptoms of obsession:
- Fear of contaminations
- Fear of blurting out insults
- Fear of losing something important
- Disturbing sexual thoughts or images
- Orderliness and symmetry can be a big worry
Typical symptoms of compulsion:
- Excessively hand washing and/or showering
- Excessively cleaning or rearranging items
- Excessively checking locks, doors, and light switches.
- Counting a specific number over and over
- Excessively seeking approval or reassurance
These symptoms of obsession and compulsion are not always present together. Some may only have an obsession, others may only have a compulsion, and some may have both cases presented in a mixed form.
Diagnosis
How is OCD diagnosed?
OCD is diagnosed based on the symptoms listed on DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5) and a self-assessment questionnaire. Your healthcare provider may also do a physical exam or order blood tests to rule out any underlying health conditions.
Treatment
How to treat OCD?
There are a few ways to treat OCD: medications, psychotherapy, TMS, and lifestyle modification.
- Medications. SSRIs and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) can treat OCD. SSRIs are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a set of drugs that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin in the presynaptic neuron. Serotonin neurotransmitters play a significant role in regulating happiness and mood. The result is an increased amount of serotonin in the brain, so they can act on their target neuron for a more extended time. TCAs have a similar mechanism of action for serotonin; however, in addition to serotonin, TCAs inhibit norepinephrine reuptake.
- Psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) can help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with OCD. CBT’s goal is to help people cope with stressful situations by changing their thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs toward the situation. This requires a collaborative effort from the therapist and the patient. For example, a therapist may gradually expose the patient to a scenario that triggers the symptoms of OCD until they learn to cope with stress and anxiety.
- Transmagnetic Stimulation (TMS). The FDA has recently approved TMS for treatment-resistant OCD, meaning these patients have seen minimal to no effective improvement from the medications and psychotherapy. TMS works by triggering the neurons and changing their neural network. It is a non-invasive, painless, and safe way to treat OCD.
- Lifestyle modification. Lifestyle changes with diet, yoga and exercising have been beneficial to decrease stress and anxiety due to OCD.
Specialty Clinic of Austin can offer all of the above ways to help you with OCD. Contact our office at 512-382-1933 for more information.
How to stop OCD rituals?
Ideally, management of anxiety could help reduce the OCD rituals. However, in some cases, this may worsen the symptoms rather than helping them. It is recommended that you seek professional help to safely and gradually stop OCD rituals.
Sources:
- Holland, K. (2020, September 21). Intrusive Thoughts: Why We Have Them and How to Stop Them. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/intrusive-thoughts#causes
- Kellner, M. (2010). Drug treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, 12(2), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2010.12.2/mkellner
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, November 27). Transcranial magnetic stimulation – Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020, March 11). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354438
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020b, March 11). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20354432
- Moraczewski J, Aedma KK. Tricyclic Antidepressants. [Updated 2020 Dec 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/
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