Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder


There are several treatments for Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the most popular approach is to treat the condition with a combination of medicine and psychotherapy. A lot of people experience the symptoms indefinitely, while others have brief partial remissions.

Cognitive behavior psychotherapy and behavior modification techniques are used for the treatment of OCD. The ritual prevention and exposure therapy is extensively used. This therapy is usually able to refrain people from engaging into the compulsive behaviors that define their condition.

Cognitive therapists can help their patients overcome the negativity and fear in their daily routines. These therapies also help treat the anxieties that nonperformance of the compulsive behavior inspires. Along with therapy, cognitive therapists also recommend use of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications help regulate the production and reuptake of serotonin in the brain.

The effectiveness of the treatment is completely based on the kind of condition that the person is experiencing. However, research indicates that the medications only account for a very mild improvement in the disorder and deep brain stimulation or behavior modification may be required for complete treatment of the condition.