Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions).
The repetitive behaviours, such as hand washing, checking on things or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions.
A diagnosis of OCD requires the presence of obsession and/or compulsions that are
- time-consuming (more than one hour a day),
- cause major distress,
- impair work, social or other important function.
OCD often begins in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood.
Obsessions
Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that cause distressing emotions such as anxiety or disgust.
The patients have no control over these thoughts and they appear automatically.
Excessive Concerns About Contamination Or Harm
The Need For Symmetry Or Exactness
Forbidden Sexual Or Religious Thoughts.
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession.
The behaviours are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or a feared situation.
Some examples of compulsions:
- Cleaning to reduce the fear that germs, dirt, or chemicals will “contaminate” them. Some people spend many hours washing themselves or cleaning their surroundings.
- Repeating to dispel anxiety. Some people utter a name or phrase or repeat a behaviour several times.
- Checking to reduce the fear of harming oneself or others by, for example, forgetting to lock the door or turn off the gas stove, some people develop checking rituals.
Diagnosis is the First Step to Recovery
Diagnosis of OCD is based on clinical signs and symptoms.
Illness severity can be assessed using structured scales such as Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)
Guiding You Toward a Healthier Mind
Medications
Imbalances in certain key neurotransmitters such as Serotonin, Nor-Epinephrine and Dopamine are responsible for causing anxiety.
Antidepressant medications are the key to treatment. These medication increase the brain concentration of these neurotransmitters and help in restoring normal brain function.
Benefits are seen after 15-21 days of starting medications.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy and Counselling play a vital role in treating patients with depression, especially those with exogenous depression.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is quintessential is equipping a patient to deal with the illness. One effective treatment is a type of cognitive-behavioural therapy known as exposure and response prevention. This technique works well for patients whose compulsions focus on situations that can be re-created easily.
Please refer to our dedicated “Psychotherapy services” page for more information.
Neurostimulation Services
Newer modalities of treatment for depression include neurostimulation techniques, which can bring about speedy recovery in patients of anxiety disorders. Neurostimulation methods are usually used in patients with severe depression or those who have not responded well to medications. For more information, refer to the Neurostimulation Techniques section of our website.
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Evening: 4:00 - 7:00 PM
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Parth Hospital,
3rd Floor Sigma Excellence,
Near Management Enclave,
Opposite Falguni Gruh Udyog,
Ahmedabad, 380015
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