You might have occasionally heard people making jokes about OCD because they are constantly checking their emails or insisting that their workstation is spotless.
The professional diagnosis of OCD, however, denotes a mental condition with symptoms that go beyond regular worries about cleanliness or order. Both urges and anxiety that interfere with your quality of life are characteristics of true OCD.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by a pervasive and persistent thought or compulsion that interferes with daily functioning.
It is a mental health condition that can cause trouble at work, home, and school. People with OCD may check things over and over again to make sure they are right. OCD can lead to uncontrollable obsession, and people try to lessen the anxiety with compulsion. They may repeat simple rituals such as hand washing or reciting words in a particular order.
People with OCD have intrusive thoughts or impulses and they experience recurring, unwanted physical or mental images or acts. When this condition becomes severe, it can affect your relationship and your responsibilities and can affect your quality of life.
If you are dealing with OCD, you must consult with a healthcare provider. Navjot kinda medication services offer the best medication services under the guidance of healthcare experts. They first diagnose your condition and then help you cope with it. If you need medication, they will give you medication according to your condition. Moreover, the experts also follow different therapies to help their patients.
Let’s talk about obsessive-compulsive disorder in detail
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
It is a chronic state of anxiety that traps people in a cycle of constant and repeated obsession and compulsion
-
OCD Obsessions:
People dealing with OCD have repetitive urges and distressing fears that are not easy to control. These thoughts can lead to serious anxiety.
-
OCD Compulsions:
People dealing with OCD want to control their anxiety which is why they turn to certain behaviors and routines. They do not want to perform these behaviors again and again nor do they get any pleasure from them.
But in their minds, they feel like they need to follow the pattern or their anxiety will get worse. However, compulsions do not work for long, and obsession comes back again, and a lot of constant anxiety starts.
Who Gets Obsessive Compulsion Disorder?
Everybody occasionally has obsessions and cravings. For instance, it’s typical to periodically check locks and stoves. Just like that some individuals want things tidy. However, OCD is more severe and it can obstruct daily life and activities.
OCD affects both genders and people of all racial and ethnic origins. Typically, it starts in early adulthood or youth.
Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
The symptoms of OCD include obsessions and compulsions, which can interfere with normal activities. For example, your symptoms can prevent you from completing your tasks on time or going to work on time. Moreover, you can also have trouble going to bed at the right time. The person with OCD knows that they are dealing with something, but they do not know how to stop it.
Treatments for OCD;
If you have OCD and it’s interfering with your quality of life, you should talk to a healthcare expert. A professional healthcare expert is trained in mental illnesses and can offer various strategies to help patients deal with OCD.
The strategies include
1- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
It is a type of psychotherapy in which you talk to the therapist, and they help you examine and understand your emotions and thoughts. Over different sessions of CBT, the health expert can help you deal with negative thoughts and replace them with healthier ways to cope.
2- With exposure and reaction prevention (EX/RP):
In this therapy, the experts deliberately provoke your fears. You won’t be able to do an action because of your healthcare provider. For instance, your provider can require you to handle unclean objects and not wash your hands.
3- Medication:
Drugs can also be effective in many cases. Navjot kinda medication services offer the best medication services under the guidance of healthcare experts. They first diagnose your condition and then help you cope with it. If you need medication, they will give you medication according to your condition.
What If These Therapies Do Not Work?
If OCD is not responding to medications and CBT, then the healthcare provider will have to try other strategies to improve mood, including
-
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT):
In this therapy, electrodes are attached to the head. The rolls deliver an electric shot to the brain that results in small seizures that help the brain release helpful chemicals.
-
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS):
In this, a magnetic therapy device is placed on the head of a patient. The device delivers an electrical impulse to the pain. It causes the brain to release chemicals that improve the mood of the patient.
How to Diagnose OCD?
In many people, OCD is diagnosed by the age of 19, but it can occur at any age. You can diagnose it through a physical exam. Moreover, blood tests, thyroid tests, drug screenings, and CBC tests can help in the evaluation of OCD.
Through a psychological evaluation, the psychiatrist can know about the behavioral patterns of the person. The severity of OCD may be determined by taking a variety of tests. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale is one of them. It contains 54 typical cravings and obsessions organized by subject.
The degree of obsession or compulsion is rated by the doctor on a scale ranging from 0 to 25. Severe symptoms are indicated by a total score of 35 or above, while mild to severe symptoms are indicated by a score of 26 to 34.
Takeaway:
OCD is a persistent, crippling disorder that can have an impact on every part of your life. The symptoms might worsen if not treated.
Combinations of drugs and therapies are frequently quite successful, although they can take some time to take effect. Additionally, there are potential new therapies for severe OCD.
Good communication between the doctor and the patient is essential to a successful outcome. It’s crucial to put what you have learned in treatment into practice outside of sessions.
The basic line is that you are not alone, and you can take assistance. Discuss the next steps in treating your problem with your doctor.
