Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is one of the most misunderstood mental health issues. Often times if a person shows tendencies for being neat and orderly, we attribute them as OCD. A person might say something like “Oh my gosh, I vacuum my house every day. I’m so OCD!” But OCD is a problem that is much, much deeper than simply wanting things a certain way. This disorder is often a crippling manifestation of anxiety and it can ruin a person’s life. But because of this misunderstanding of OCD, people often left asking “What is OCD?” This article seeks to answer two questions: What is OCD and what is the best Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder treatment?
What is OCD?
There are two defining features of OCD. The first are these obsessive, unwanted, repetitive thoughts. These thoughts can be that “my hands aren’t clean, my hands aren’t clean”, and they just won’t go away. These thoughts begin to produce anxiety and become compulsions. You begin to have this irresistible urge to wash your hands because they’re just not clean enough. So to relieve the unbearable anxiety attached to these compulsions, you begin to follow through. You clean your hands repetitively, clean them to the point they’re raw and cracking, yet you still feel like they’re absolutely filthy so you compulsively wash again. Another symptom of these compulsions is that if they’re not met, something bad is going to happen. So a woman thinks that she needs to have her room a certain way, perfectly organized, or she’ll do bad on an upcoming test. So she spends hours trying to make sure that everything is exactly as it needs to be so she avoids doing poorly on her test. Unfortunately, this keeps her from studying like she needs to or she misses the test entirely. So these obsessions and compulsions become disorders when they keep us from living our everyday lives.
Treatment For OCD
Professional help is often necessary in order to treat OCD. One incredibly effective therapy technique is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. CBT looks to get at the cognitive roots of the maladaptive behavior in order to treat it. Often they map out the thought distortions that created the obsessions so that they can fix the behavior. This CBT paired with medication that help manage and relieve anxiety can help a person heal from these compulsions, and live a normal life.
If you feel that your daughter struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, we at Sunrise Residential Treatment Center are prepared to help her meet her disorder and heal from it. We are here to help you and your family. If you have any questions or would like more information about the program, please call at 435-900-7753.