There are different types of mental illnesses and disorders that effect the functioning of the brain in a manner that is not normal. Some disorders may be mild however; there are others that are very severe. One of the examples of mental disorders that are found very commonly in people is the obsessive compulsive disorder. People seem to identify these disorders very late because of the strength, intensity and frequency with which the disorder increases is very slow. However, there various signs and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder that should act as a warning bell. Thoughts that persist in the mind of a person even after efforts to ignore them are one of the signs of OCD. Similarly a person may perform certain tasks repeatedly or as a ritual because of the obsession or thoughts that hover in his mind. This is another sign of OCD.
Treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder
Depending upon the severity of the disorder there are different types of treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder.
1. Medication - SSRIs that is selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, commonly known as anti-depressants are the most used medicines for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Research has shown that lack of serotonin is the cause of obsessive compulsive disorder. Therefore, the SSRIs prevent the re-absorption of serotonin in the brain thereby changing the level of serotonin and boosting the mood of the patient. Another form of medication is Benzodiazepines. These are a type of drugs and commonly referred to as sedatives. They are useful in suppressing anxiety and other issues of compulsive disorder for a short period. However, as these medicines are such that the patient may get addicted to them, they are prescribed for short periods.
2. Behavioral Therapy – Since medications have a lot of side effects, behavioral therapy is one of the most recommended treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder. The therapy is also known as exposure and ritual prevention or ERP that trains the patient to tolerate the anxiety and to prevent him/herself from performing the ritual that he/she normally does. For example a patient may have a habit of repeating a particular task. In this case he is trained and monitored not to repeat the task again and as time passes the patient gets used to it and overcomes the disorder of performing tasks repeatedly.
3. Psycho-surgery – In cases where medication, behavioral therapy, support groups, etc fail to cure symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder a surgery called the psycho-surgery is performed on the patient’s brain. It is considered as one of the last resorts for the treatment of obsessive disorders.
There are a lot of treatment centers for obsessive compulsive disorder to treat patients suffering from this disorder. However, it is recommended to send a loved one to such centers before the situation gets very complicated.
Treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder
Depending upon the severity of the disorder there are different types of treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder.
1. Medication - SSRIs that is selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, commonly known as anti-depressants are the most used medicines for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Research has shown that lack of serotonin is the cause of obsessive compulsive disorder. Therefore, the SSRIs prevent the re-absorption of serotonin in the brain thereby changing the level of serotonin and boosting the mood of the patient. Another form of medication is Benzodiazepines. These are a type of drugs and commonly referred to as sedatives. They are useful in suppressing anxiety and other issues of compulsive disorder for a short period. However, as these medicines are such that the patient may get addicted to them, they are prescribed for short periods.
2. Behavioral Therapy – Since medications have a lot of side effects, behavioral therapy is one of the most recommended treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder. The therapy is also known as exposure and ritual prevention or ERP that trains the patient to tolerate the anxiety and to prevent him/herself from performing the ritual that he/she normally does. For example a patient may have a habit of repeating a particular task. In this case he is trained and monitored not to repeat the task again and as time passes the patient gets used to it and overcomes the disorder of performing tasks repeatedly.
3. Psycho-surgery – In cases where medication, behavioral therapy, support groups, etc fail to cure symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder a surgery called the psycho-surgery is performed on the patient’s brain. It is considered as one of the last resorts for the treatment of obsessive disorders.
There are a lot of treatment centers for obsessive compulsive disorder to treat patients suffering from this disorder. However, it is recommended to send a loved one to such centers before the situation gets very complicated.
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