Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears that lead you to do repetitive behaviors . These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress. These are often aggravated by distress and anxiety, and despite your efforts to ignore or control these bothersome thoughts and urges, they keep coming back.
People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety. Common themes include:
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought. Common compulsions include:
These are accompanied by:
Tic disorder. Motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements, such as eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking. Common vocal tics include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds.
In addition, many people may have bipolar disorder along with another mental disorder or condition, such as an anxiety disorder, substance use disorder.
Depression, even the most severe cases, can be treated. The earlier that treatment can begin, the more effective it is. Depression is usually treated with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. If these treatments do not reduce symptoms, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and other brain stimulation therapies may be options to explore.
Antidepressants are medicines that treat OCD. Medicines usually take higher dose and longer duration (8-12 weeks) to work compared to the treatment of depression. Once you start feeling better, usually after a course of 6 to 12 months, you may be able to gradually taper off the medicines. Stopping them abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Please Note: In some cases, children, teenagers, and young adults under 25 may experience an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants, especially in the first few weeks after starting or when the dose is changed. This warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says that patients of all ages taking antidepressants should be watched closely, especially during the first few weeks of treatment.
If you are considering taking an antidepressant and you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding please let us know prior to starting the medicines.
Several types of psychotherapy (also called “talk therapy” or, in a less specific form, counseling) can help people with depression. Examples of evidence-based approaches specific to the treatment of depression include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), and problem-solving therapy.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): TMS is a newer approach to brain stimulation that uses magnetic waves.