Obsessive-Compulsive Order - How to Treatment

Description:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a likely disabling ailment that traps people in endless cycles of recurrent thoughts and behaviors. People with OCD have cyclical thoughts or fears that continue repeating over and over in their mind that they can't control. The anxiety produced by these thoughts lead to an pressing need to perform certain things or routines. People usually repeat these rituals in an attempt to stop the obsessive thoughts and make them go away. The thoughts or fears may go away briefly but before long the thoughts will come back. In some cases, an obsession can get so bad as to take up hours of a persons life a day. An obsession can develop until it will start to intervene with a persons normal activities. Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder recognize that their disorder is pointless and absurd, they just can't stop themselves without help.

Causes:

Although the exact cause of OCD is not wholly understood, studies have shown that a combination of biological and environmental factors may be involved.

Biological Factors

The brain contains billions of nerves, also know as neurons, that must communicate and work together for the body to work normally. Special chemicals, called neurotransmitters, help move these electrical messages from neuron to neuron. When the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin is low, there is a link that looks to grow OCD. A serotonin imbalance may be developed over time or possible passed down from a parent.

Environmental Factors

There are many environmental factors that seem to have an impact on the development of OCD. Along with these there are also factors that can severely worsen OCD symptoms. Just to list a a handful:

Abuse
Illness
Change in living patterns
Death of loved one
Relationship concerns
Work or school related problems
Treatment and Remedies

Unlike some anxiety difficulties, OCD will not just go away on its own. Getting rid of OCD requires some kind of treatment. The most common type of treatment includes a mix between medicine and cognitive-behavior therapy.

Cognitive-behavior therapy. The goal of cognitive therapy is to teach a person to control their fears and reduce anxiety without doing their routine behaviors. Many times this is just like exposure therapy. The person will be required to think through a situation in a pleasant environment and solve it without the use of the ritual.
Medication therapy. Tricyclic antidepressants, such as Anafranil, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, such as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft may be helpful in treating OCD.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ETC). In extreme cases of OCD and in people who do not respond to medical and behavioral therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ETC) or psychosurgery may be used to manage OCD. During ECT, electrodes are attached to the patient's head, and a series of electric shocks are mailed to the brain, which induces seizures. The seizures cause the release of neurotransmitters in the brain.

With the correct remedy obsessive compulsive disorder can be addressed. Ongoing treatment will usually achieve long-term relief from OCD symptoms and the person can return to a normal life.


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