Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness or psychological disorder in which compulsive and repetitive behavior occupies the patient’s mind. The patient tends to suffer from excessive anxiety and following repetitive behavior or an extensive ritual alleviates her anxiety.
The causes of OCD are unknown, but it can occur due to family history, genetic factors, hormonal changes, altered brain chemistry, daily life stress, traumatic event, depression, toxic relationships, financial, professional, or life stressors. social, or even bullying. in the workplace The cause can be personal for everyone.
OCD Behaviors
People with OCD may display different types of OCD behavior. These may include the following:
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Indulge in excessive cleaning.
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Fear of contamination and seeing germs everywhere.
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Arranging things in a particular pattern, orientation, or symmetry.
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Rearranging things over and over again with the intention of not breaking the cycle.
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Hoarding of objects or compulsive purchases.
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Arrange things or maintain any pattern of behavior perfectly.
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Compulsively believing taboo thoughts.
OCD symptoms
OCD involves two types of emotions: Obsession Y compulsion. In general terms, the symptoms are also classified into these two emotions.
Obsessive symptoms include:
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Repetitive and aggressive thoughts. It can be about yourself or about others.
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Keep things or schedule in a particular order.
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Fear of contamination and germs.
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The mind is occupied with unnecessary thoughts all the time.
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Developing compulsive behavior because of religion, sex, hurting yourself or others.
Compulsive symptoms include:
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Count objects compulsively.
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Overly clean oriented.
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Arrange things or daily work in a certain symmetrical order.
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Compulsive checking of some activities such as whether the door is closed or not, whether the stove is off or not, etc.
treatment programs
An OCD treatment program relies heavily on medication and psychotherapy. For cases where medication and psychotherapy prove inadequate, there are also intensive treatment programmes. Psychotherapy alone is not enough to treat OCD and there would be frequent relapses.
The medication focuses on increasing serotonin levels in the blood to decrease OCD symptoms. There are medications available like paroxetine, fluoxetine, etc. They have worked well in the past for OCD, but these medications must be prescribed by a doctor after a proper diagnosis.
Psychotherapy by medical professionals has been shown to be an effective level of treatment in the treatment of OCD. It is successful in breaking compulsive behavior by entertaining the compulsive thought process. Most often, psychotherapy is combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy to work on the patient’s pattern of obsessive behavior.
Along with psychotherapy and meditation, coping strategies such as exercise, yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, and recreational activities can also help alleviate OCD behaviors. Previous studies have shown that recreational transcranial magnetic stimulation and neurosurgical methods have also been effective in curbing OCD.
When to consider intensive treatment programs
For some patients, a treatment plan that includes medication or psychotherapy or any other form of the treatment mentioned above may simply not work. These patients are classified as treatment-resistant OCD.
Intensive residential treatment programs are developed to combat treatment-resistant OCD. The key feature of intensive residential treatment programs is that they are designed to provide both inpatient and outpatient facilities. Treatment involves individualized self-assessment tools to determine the severity of the OCD. Based on the severity of the OCD, a treatment plan is determined and scheduled for the patients. The patient may need to be admitted for days, months, weeks, weekends only, or years, depending on the frequency of relapses, history, and duration of illness.
Patients with mild symptoms can opt for treatment in outpatient centers. These centers provide facilities for healthy living within a controlled environment to prevent relapse. They are well equipped with medical facilities and allow patients to remain under the supervision of doctors, a support network, paramedics, occupational therapists and psychologists 24/7. They provide a list of combination therapies that include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, group therapy, family therapy, educational therapy, relaxation therapy, and recreational therapy.
Inpatient Treatment Program: These treatment programs focus on patients with a tendency to self-harm and who relapse recurrently. A period of hospitalization helps ensure the safety of such patients. While the patient is in the hospital, the staff teaches them how to manage emotional pain, change behavior patterns, teach them life skills, and guide them on the right path to combat OCD symptoms at the root. They are kept under medical supervision 24/7 and receive treatment for OCD using a combination of multiple therapies.
residential treatment program: This type of treatment program is suitable for patients who do not pose a danger to themselves or others, but do not respond well to typical compulsive treatment and need extra help. For such patients, accommodation plans are generally carried out in a home environment, where a person stays for a period of time and is cared for 24 hours a day. The program usually lasts about 60 days, but it varies from person to person.
An overwhelming mental disorder, OCD has destroyed more lives than we care to admit. People who struggle with this compulsive disorder are ridiculed for their obsessive-compulsive behavior. It has affected families and caused patients to fall into depressive episodes.