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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is one of the most common existing anxiety disorders, better known as OCD. OCD involves obsessions that initiate noticeable anxiety and/or compulsions that try to counteract anxiety. There are many effective treatments for OCD, ranging from therapy to self-help and medication. Relaxation Techniques This types of treatment is also known as cognitive techniques, this type of treatment includes techniques for relaxation such as self-talk to alleviate existing symptoms. There techniques help the patient confer interpersonal situations and promote self-assurance. Sixty to seventy percent of patients benefit from this type of therapy according to clinical studies. Antidepressant Medication Two types of drugs are used to treat OCD namely, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), like fluoxetine (Prozac®) and sertraline (Zoloft®), and a Tri-cyclic Antidepressant (TCA), clomipramine (Anafranil®), that also affects serotonin levels.In the treatment of OCD, high doses of SSRIs may be needed. It can take approximately 12 weeks to experience its beneficial effects. About 60% of OCD patients react remarkably to antidepressant medication, while 40% undergo a partial decrease of symptoms. On the other hand, only 10% to 15% have a reduction of symptoms. This means that the disease is chronic for most patients even undergoing treatment. Most take medication for an indefinite period of time, and 85% of patients relapse within 1 to 2 months after discontinuing their medication. Psychotherapy This treatment is considered as the first-line solution for OCD particularly for children. Psychotherapy covers the teaching of mechanisms through neutralizing activities in order to handle with obsessive thought without the need to resort to the OCD habit. Psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is proven to be successful and considered to be highly effective as it is focused on changing thought patterns to alter the obsessive and compulsive behavior itself. Family Therapy As the family is considered to be the primary unit of society which can affect and shape an individual, family therapy is beneficial in providing solutions to OCD. It can help give solution to family conflicts by promoting the right consideration about such disorder, which can motivate family members help the OCD patient. Psychosurgery Psychosurgery is being performed in acute cases of OCD. This is done when the signs and symptoms of the OCD are now overpowering and are unresponsive to other treatments available. Psychosurgery is a new breakthrough of science. It involves cutting certain parts of the brain using an electrode. The procedure involves Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to make sure that only preferred brain part is involved during the surgery. Considerably, more than 30% of patients who had undergone psychosurgery exhibited great improvements in their OCD unlike the Lobotomy Procedure which produces unexpected brain damage and memory loss.
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