How many times do you wash your hands daily?
Or is it normal for you to constantly worry about having left the iron on even when you are two hours into an office meeting?
These questions might have prompted a picture of obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD in your head. That is how commonly known OCD is especially to the younger generation. But how well understood it is is a matter of concern.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder popularly known by its acronym OCD is a mental health disorder involving extreme levels of anxiety, preoccupation with unwanted thoughts, and rituals or undesirable habits.
Even though people at times use it casually to refer to being a person who pays extra attention to detail, OCD is much more severe than simply being fussy. The extent to which it can affect an individual’s life is substantial. An OCD specialist in India can bring much relief to such individuals.
According to medical professionals the following symptoms characterise OCD:
Obsessions
- Recurrent worry about loved ones’ safety.
- Distressing thoughts related to sex, religion, and violence.
- Stress regarding being in touch with dirt or germs in the environment.
- Need for symmetry, orderliness, and neatness.
- Fear of harming yourself or others.
Compulsions
- Washing your hands so much that they become hurt.
- Constantly repeating certain words or numbers.
- Worrying about not having closed doors or shut off appliances/stoves, etc. leading to catastrophic thoughts.
- Need for repeated reassurance.
- Over the top neatness and orderliness.
The above symptoms pose difficulties in various aspects of life including personal, professional, and social. Not only is the person suffering on their own but their performance in school/office as well as interpersonal relationships also take a negative turn.
What Causes OCD?
Two major factors behind OCD are biological and psychosocial:
Neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA are imbalanced in OCD clients. Further, having a close relative with OCD also increases the chances of developing it pointing to the role of genetics in this disease. Brain is a sophisticated and delicate organ and any injuries to it can also lead to such disorders.
Childhood experiences have long been thought as important in the genesis of mental health issues. As such, traumatic experiences in childhood can lead to such disorders. Other factors include stressful life events and unhelpful coping strategies.
What Treatment for OCD Entails?
Psychotherapy and medications are the two major treatment options utilised by an OCD specialist in India. Cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT is often used in the initial stages and its impact has been studied well in clients. CBT involves the modification of unhelpful thoughts, emotions, or behaviours into helpful ones. The underlying notion behind this is that disorders are caused by such undesirable thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and changing them will ease the symptoms as well.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a form of CBT, brings the client in contact with their feared object and they are subsequently asked not to indulge in any compulsive behaviours to ease their anxiety. Such exposures are done in a stepwise manner to facilitate comfortability in the client regarding the feared stimuli. The premise behind it is that these exposures will eventually habituate the client to the fear-inducing trigger and teach them that their worry was unreasonable. When ERP is used with OCD clients it shows the most promising results.
Sometimes psychotherapy alone is not effective. In such conditions medications are also used for treatment. Psychiatrists pursue an MBBS degree and are allowed by governing authority to prescribe medications while psychologists are not. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), anxiolytics, and antidepressants are generally prescribed by psychiatrists.
Conclusion
Despite the challenges abound, it is possible to treat and manage OCD. An OCD specialist in India is trained to do so. Reaching out to such experts can help you fight your battle with more ease and increased support from someone who understands. In countries like India, there can be a lot of stigma around such topics which makes it even more difficult for people to avail treatment.
With the right guidance your journey towards better mental health will be a smooth sail. We at CoachforMind are here for you.
Why CoachforMind?
* Quality Professionals: We are a team of licensed RCI-registered clinical psychologists. Our team has a top-rated OCD specialist in India.
* Personalised Approach: We are dedicated to treating our clients in the best suited way, carefully curated as per the needs of the client adhering to one-on-one, client-centred therapy.
* Scientific Techniques: Our treatment plans and therapeutic methods are based on highly researched, scientific findings such as DBT and behavioural therapies. These therapies are used in rewiring the brain into shifting from inattentive and hyperactive behaviours into healthy ways of coping from the issue and developing mindful habits.
* Quality service: We at CoachForMind ensure quality services in our treatment regime and therapeutic approaches. Our clients hold most value to us, so we ground our techniques in empathy while maintaining professionalism.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly at coachformind@gmail.com
