Treatment for OCD

Do You or Someone You Love Need OCD Treatment?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental disorder that can end up controlling your life. It is a form of anxiety disorder where the sufferer obsesses on unreasonable thoughts and then begins to compulsively perform actions that help alleviate the buildup of uneasiness and worry. In some cases, the man, woman, adolescent, or child will become fixated on a thought or line of thinking that may refer to cleanliness. He or she may begin to shower or bathe four or five times a day so that they are clean. The obsession is the constant thinking and worrying that occurs and the compulsiveness is the multiple bathing that helps lessen the concern and apprehension of being dirty. This mood disorder not only affects the person suffering from OCD, but it also affects his or her lifestyle, friends and family.

Are you obsessing on an irrational thought? Are you compulsively acting on those thoughts to minimize the fear, worry, discomfort, and anxiety? Would you like to stop opening and closing doors 27 times to confirm that it is shut, or washing your hands so long that they become raw and sore to the touch? Maybe you are the loved one of someone fighting obsessive compulsive disorder. Is he or she constantly late for events because they had to perform some sort of dressing ritual three of four times before they could finish getting dressed? There are so many variations of OCD, but the same step to healing has to be completed. The sufferer has to admit there is a problem. The next step is asking for help from a loved one, a therapist or an obsessive compulsive disorder treatment center. Living a life without all of the obsessions and compulsions is available, and you can begin living you life again.

Treatment Plan for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Fighting an obsessive compulsive disorder takes a great deal of strength and commitment, but it also takes the love and support of others to help you through the difficult times. A support team needs to be developed in order to give you the best chance of overcoming the OCD. There are four components that are needed to make it through the challenges of learning how to manage obsessive compulsive disorder. They include a licensed counselor, friends and family, an obsessive compulsive disorder healing program, and a support group. Each part of this team will be critical in overcoming and managing the OCD.

  • Loved ones - The role in healing that your friends and family can participate in is significant. They can be the support and motivator for healing.
  • Licensed counselor - A professional psychologist can help produce a custom-made obsessive compulsive disorder treatment program. They will assist in gathering additional resources and entering an OCD treatment center.
  • OCD therapy program - An obsessive compulsive disorder psychotherapy program will help increase the odds for successfully dealing with an obsessive compulsive disorder. Additional co-occurring addictions or disorders that may exist will also be evaluated.
  • Join a support group - The motivation and accountability provided by a support group is invaluable. Ongoing therapy and support groups will help in working with the urges to stop therapy or taking medications. They will be important in assisting to continue abstinence.

 Treatment Levels for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

The treatment levels for treating obsessive compulsive disorder vary in approaches and intensity. Fortunately, the more concentrated levels of rehabilitation are normally not required. Healing programs such as OCD residential treatment centers, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), inpatient programs, and partial hospitalization programs may be needed if there are co-occurring disorders like drug and alcohol addictions, eating disorders or other psychiatric disorders.

Commonly used approaches for treating obsessive compulsive disorder are:

  • Outpatient Care - Outpatient programs are similar to IOPs but not as concentrated. It places fewer limits on the person but still implements both group and personal therapies.
  • Groups of Support - The support made available by the group is crucial in managing a mood disorder. The group can supply much needed care and compassion on the road to recovery.

Types of Pharmacological Therapy for OCD

Medications for assisting in the management of obsessive compulsive disorder are available. They consist of the more common antidepressants, but anti-anxiety and atypical antipsychotic medications are available as well. Implementing these medications and behavioral therapy provide should be performed by an obsessive compulsive disorder treatment center. Examples of these medications include:

  • Antidepressants - Primarily the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
    • Escitalopram  (Lexapro)
    • Paroxetine (Paxil)
    • Sertraline (Zoloft)
    • Fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • Anti-anxieties - Primarily benzodiazepines
    • Alprazolam (Xanax)
    • Andclonazepam (Klonopin)
    • Diazepam (Valium)
  • Atypical antipsychotics
    • Olanzapine
    • Quetiapine
    • Risperidone

Types of Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment

OCD treatment centers will address the obsessive compulsive disorder in several different ways. The more effective facilities will often employ a combination of behavior therapy and pharmaceutical treatments. The blending of medicinal treatment and behavior therapy has demonstrated to be the most optimal solution in managing and curing obsessive compulsive disorder. Some of the behavioral therapies implemented include:

        • Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) - The level of therapy provided by IPT centers upon the interpersonal connections and community functions utilizing brief supportive treatment and also tries to assist the person to better resolve existing situations and troubles. IPT has four main elements, which are relationship shortcomings, unresolved grief, role disputes, and role changes.
        • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - This category of rehabilitation is designed to work on a patient’s maladaptive ways of thinking as a way influencing their behavior with an approach that is more positive. This also allows negative coping skills to be replaced with positive coping skills.
        • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) - This level of rehab integrates the common behavioral therapy components of IBT and CBT for the regulation of emotions. Mindful awareness and stress management elements are merged into this treatment.
        • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - This type of cognitive behavioral treatment uses mindfulness and acceptance approaches mixed in multiple ways with strategies of commitment and behavior-change. This should enhance the patient’s emotional and mental flexibility.
        • Supportive Programs - Groups much like group therapy, support groups, family therapy, etc. are included in this type of treatment. These programs help the entire family that is dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder.
        • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) - The brain is electrically shocked. It is also known as Electroshock therapy.
        • Psychosurgery - A lesion is surgically made in the cingulate cortex area of the brain. It is also called neurosurgery for mental disorder (NMD).

The mental chaos of obsessive compulsive disorder can be exceedingly detrimental to the sufferer's life. The person becomes obsessed with certain thoughts and then compulsively repeating certain behaviors. The OCD can become debilitating to a man, woman or child's life. This is due to the buildup of obsessive uneasy feelings and anxiety, and the only release is to perform, compulsively, a behavior. Treatment is available for those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. Seeking the professional help from an OCD rehab facility will assist you in learning how to manage this disorder and begin to live a more normal life.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on April 15th, 2013
Published on AddictionHope.com, Substance Abuse Directory