OCD Treatment Options

The sudden increase in the number of OCD affliction has induced a necessity among us to understand the treatment methodologies in detail. The various OCD treatment methodologies in existence are described in detail to help you get an idea of the options available on date.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

One of the most effective treatment methodologies in vogue for OCD today is the CBT. The type of CBT that is required for OCD treatment is referred to as the ERP. ERP denotes Exposure Response/Ritual Prevention. It entails the art of learning to cope with the anxiety that pops up due to obsessive feelings while keeping the compulsive repetitive behaviors associated with the anxiety at bay.

ERP combined with the intake of psychotropic drugs have testified to be utile rather than opting for either of the OCD treatment methodology. D-Cycloserin is one of the antibiotics that have proven to be effective when taken along with regular sessions of ERP.

Medication

One of the powerful OCD treatment techniques has been the intake of Selective Serotonin Uptake Receptor Inhibitors (SSRI) which work towards correcting the abnormality associated with the serotonin receptors of the brain. The SSRIs are believed to prevent the excess serotonin from being pushed back into the inducing neuron/ Instead they are made to bind them to receptors that in turn send chemical message responses to control anxiety. SSRIs with a dose of clomipramin are believed to be effective in treating OCD.

Serotonergic anti depressants, benzodiazepines and atypical antipsycotrophic drugs like risperidone,ziprasidone, quetiapine and olanzapine also prove to be useful in OCD treatment. However, the intake of atypical psychotropic needs utmost care and attention for the fact that an excess intake can aggravate the symptoms of OCD to unimaginable extents. The intake of inositol, natural sugar,opioids, nutritional supplements and psilocybin have also shown promising trends in the arena of OCD treatment.

For people who seem to show no improvement from medications and behavioral therapy for a stipulated time period, FDA has approved the induction of surgical care. This is approved only after a thorough behavioral treatment procedure and obtaining a certification from a well qualified medical practitioner stating that the OCD patient is resistant to ERP and medications.

Surgical Care

Deep nerve and vagus nerve stimulation is a couple of OCD treatment surgical options that do not necessitate brain tissue damage. However, psychotherapy is a surgical OCD treatment option where the cingulated cortex of the brain is wounded and a surgery is performed. This is considered to be the last resort of all the OCD treatment options.

ECT is yet another OCD treatment option in which electrodes are placed on the head of the patient. Electric shocks are given to release the neurotransmitters of the brain in this OCD treatment methodology.