Obsessive compulsive disorder
Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental health issue characterized by repeated, recurrent, and intrusive thoughts that causes significant distress to the individual and leads to compulsive behaviour. According to studies, its lifetime prevalence is 1.6%. The essential features of OCD are time consumption, marked distress and significant impairing obsessions or compulsions that are recognized as unreasonable or foolish by the individual. It is equally common in men and women. Its onset is likely to be in childhood or early adult life. The person may need psychosocial rehabilitation at psychiatry hospital in India.
What are obsessions?
Obsessions and recurrent and persistent thoughts, ideas or images that comes to a person’s mind over and over again in a stereotype fashion. The suffer often has failed attempts to stop them. They are markedly distressing and are recognized as self- generated.
What are compulsions?
The obsessions cause significant anxiety to the individual and to neutralize it, the person indulges in a ritualistic behaviour that is repeated again and again called compulsions. The person feels compelled to perform these behaviours or mental actions to prevent negative consequences. They provide a temporary relief from anxiety which further reinforces the behaviour. They are not inherently enjoyable for the person and he/she may identify them as pointless.
CAUSES
Biological factors-
- Genetics- Genetic study has shown that relatives of person with OCD are three to five times higher risk of developing OCD. Higher concordance rate has been found in monozygotic twins than dizygotic twins.
- Neurotransmitters- Dysregulation of Serotonin plays an important role in symptom formation of OCD although reason has not been clear.
- Brain Anatomy- Many brain imaging studies have found increased activity in frontal lobe, basal ganglia and cingulum of patients with OCD.
Behavioural Factors: –
- Learning studies show that a relatively neutral stimulus gets associated with a fear response through the process of conditioning.
- Compulsions are learned through repeated actions that are carried out to neutralize the anxiety from obsessions.
Psychosocial Factors: –
- 15 to 35 % of people with OCD had obsessive traits such as concern for details and perfectionism prior to the onset of the illness.
- Psychodynamic theories suggest a regression from oedipal phase to anal psychosexual stage of development leading to ambivalence and magical thinking.
Treatment of OCD
Psychological Treatment in India
- Behaviour Therapy (BT): Behaviour therapy has proven to be one of the most effective treatment in OCD. Many rehab centres in Delhi NCR provide exposure therapy and uses ERP as a basis of their treatment.
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Cognitive Restructuring along with Exposure therapy is one of the best approaches used by clinicians all over the world. Psychiatry hospital in India and other countries uses techniques of cognitive therapy to work with mental compulsions.
Pharmacological Treatment in India
Pharmacologic monotherapy usually revolves around clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant and SSRIs.
Top Psychiatry hospital in India like Tulasi Healthcare, a rehab centre in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR offers a combined approach of pharmacology and psychological treatment.
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