Treatment Options for OCD

Treatment for OCD

Several reports suggest that around 32 to 70% of individuals, who suffer from OCD, experience a reduction in symptoms through treatment. Popular and recommended OCD treatments include:

1. Medication

This is one of the recommended OCD treatments. Your doctor will share a prescription basis your symptoms and overall condition. Antidepressants are the primary suggested medication as they are effective towards managing OCD symptoms.

2. Psychological therapy

This treatment option can help in minimizing intensity of the symptoms and can also lower its frequency. The two major types of OCD therapy are:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

In this type, a trained therapist guides you through the process of identifying and understanding troublesome thoughts that usually affect your behaviour. The main goal of CBT is to replace these disruptive thoughts with positive ones and improve the quality of life.

2. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

This type of OCD therapy includes methodical exposure to things that can cause anxiety in your case. This enables you to learn new ways to cope with it, instead of taking shelter and running away from them.

Alternative Options of OCD treatment

This includes:

1. Intensive Residential Treatment (IRT)

This is an effective alternative treatment option available for patients with severe treatment-resistant OCD and who don’t effectively respond to standard outpatient treatment procedure. The duration of these programs is usually long-term and may yield noticeable results.

2. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

This treatment method is generally reserved for adults who don’t respond to standard procedures. The treatment involves embedding electrodes in specific parts of the brain and using electrical impulses to control irregular notions.

3. Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

This method focuses on OCD treatment for adults between 22 to 68 years. This process involves the use of magnetic pulses delivered through an electromagnetic coil, placed around your forehead, in order to stimulate the nerve cells within your brain.

Self-help strategies

Here are some methods that can help you manage the symptoms on your own.

• Learn about the condition as this will help you understand the situation and deal with it in a better way.

• Managing anxiety can be helpful as anxiety and OCD are closely related to one another. This may help reduce the frequency of symptoms experienced.

• Exercising regularly can offer multiple health benefits. Some reports suggest that doing daily exercise can help reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms.

• Deal with stress as this too can trigger OCD symptoms. Indulging in relaxation techniques like a massage or listening to music can be helpful.

• Get adequate sleep

• Eat well & follow a follow diet