Factors You Need To Know About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!

OCD is a common mental disorder which can affect people of all age. Most people are diagnosed with the disease by the age of 19 which is typically common in boys than girls. But various factors including genetics, structure, and functioning of the brain and environmental factors can increase the risk of the condition. OCD can be treated with medicines or psychotherapy or both.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental disorder where a person has recurring uncontrollable thoughts known as obsession and compulsive behaviour that the affected individual repeats over and over again. Such symptoms can interfere with different aspects of life which may include work, education and even personal relationships. Obsessions are the repeated urge or thoughts or mental images leading to tremendous anxiety. On the other hand, compulsions are those behaviours that a person takes part in after encountering an obsessive thought. If you are encountering such symptoms, you should seek medical advice without delay.

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SRIs can help in reducing the symptoms of OCD. Medicines such as sertraline, fluvoxamine, and fluoxetine among others belong to the class of tricyclic depressants that are often recommended by the doctor. Such medicines often require administration of high dosage and may take around 8 to 12 weeks before it can start working while some people experience more rapid improvement. Before taking this medicine, you should comprehend the risks and benefits of taking them and how they are going to affect you.

One of the most effective treatments of OCD is cognitive behavioural therapy known as response prevention and exposure. During the treatment session, patients are exposed to the circumstances creating anxiety that propel them to have compulsive behaviour. The exposure helps the patients to reduce and then stop the behaviours that negatively affect their lives. This technique is very effective for people having compulsions related to situations that are easily recreated. It pays to participate in the therapy sessions despite the kind of anxiety it involves. Perseverance is the key here.