OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. The patient experiences unwanted, intrusive thoughts that make them feel restless. To reduce the restlessness, the patient is forced to perform an activity and inability to perform the activity causes severe anxiety, sometimes leading to aggression. The activity is known as a compulsion.
This is a repetitive behaviour and can disrupt routine life as well.
These are recurrent, intrusive thoughts or images that cause severe anxiety and restlessness. These thoughts are not controlled by any logical thinking or explanation and the patient is forced to perform some action to relieve the anxiety. However, it is not necessary that all obsessive thoughts are always accompanied by compulsions, obsessive thoughts can exist exclusively as well.
For e.g. Repetitive thought that hands are dirty after using the washroom, checking again and again if the doors are locked, seeing sexual images repeatedly etc.
These are repetitive actions that are performed to get rid of obsessive thoughts. The actions could be physical or mental. The connection between the obsessions and compulsions is usually irrational and the action does not always bring relief to the patient. Hence, in order to relieve anxiety the cycle of obsession-compulsion continues.
For e.g. Washing and cleaning repeatedly, arranging and organising, checking and re-checking etc.
Mental actions like chanting god’s name to reduce obsessive thoughts.
Patient presents with symptoms of severe anxiety when the thoughts are very intrusive and might also lead to severe aggression. Inability to perform the action can also lead to severe anxiety.
SSRIs – Drugs like Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Sertraline, Escitalopram, etc. are usually the first line of treatment.
TCAs – Clomipramine is also very effective in treatment of OCD.
Anti-anxiety – Drugs like clonazepam, etizolam can be used to reduce the anxiety related to OCD.
Augmenting agents – Anti-psychotic drugs like risperidone can be used to treat the underlying OCD.
Different types of psychotherapy work in OCD depending on the type of symptoms. Most commonly used types are Exposure Response Prevention, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, etc.
rTMS is a neuro-stimulation technique that uses magnetic stimulation for treatment. It is a treatment approved by the US-FDA for the treatment of OCD.
