TYPES OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR OCD (CHAPTER 5)

Treatments for OCD can give people the tools to make substantial changes in their lives. Changing the way we react to fearful situations can help us make wiser and healthier choices. However, OCD is not like an infection that completely goes away with a course of antibiotics. It is more like diabetes. When someone has an illness like diabetes, we know that it is treatable, and that person can live a full and satisfying life. The same is true with a diagnosis of OCD. There are some preventive measures or effective treatments, and you can expect that your life can be full and satisfying. Similar to diabetes. Taking a good care of yourself will be an important part of ensuring the amount of satisfaction and fullness which you can expect from.

1. Psychological Therapy - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) refers to two distinct treatments: cognitive therapy and behavioural therapy. It is the most commonly used therapy for people with OCD and can be conducted in group sessions, yet, the treatment of OCD is usually delivered individually. Besides, cognitive behaviour therapists work closely with people to develop a shared understanding of thinking and behavioural difficulties. In this case, therapists can assist people to uncover unhelpful and unrealistic ways of thinking aside from helping a person to move closer to more helpful and realistic ways of thinking. In addition, cognitive behaviour therapists also possess techniques which can be accommodating or helpful to minimize the distress level associated with obsessions. By minimizing the distress level associated with the obsession, the thought pattern is broken down and occurs less frequently.

Next, another effective part of CBT is "Psycho Education". This relates to education regarding the symptoms of anxiety and why they occur. For example, people tend to be less fearful of symptoms if they are informed about the human physiological response to fear. People react to the threat of imminent danger with a chronic acute stress response, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response during or in which the brain releases hormones such as adrenaline that prepares the body for action. Understanding this process may assist the person in understanding the importance of breathing and relaxation techniques, as well as the benefits of aerobic exercise. After all, breathing and relaxation strategies are often taught to minimize physical symptoms of anxiety and manage stress in general.

2. Medication

If left untreated, OCD can be a disabling and chronic illness. In addition to cognitive-behavioural therapy, drug therapy can help to reduce symptoms of OCD. The main medications that do this are known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI). They are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the treatment of COD, and are also used to treat depression. For the record, SRI belongs to a class of drugs called antidepressants, and most doctors treating OCD with medication will prescribe an SRI.

Furthermore, the consumption of SRI by far has been proven to help reduce the symptoms of OCD for a majority of the patients. For those who do not benefit from taking SRI drugs, other drug treatments may provide relief which can be prescribed  to address specific symptoms and taken in addition to SRI. Often, people who take SRI may experience side-effects. For some, the side-effects are mild; an easy trade-off for the benefits of the medication. To others, the side-effects, on the contrary, may be more troubling.

People often experience the side-effects of SRI before they experience the benefits. In general, the side-effects of SRI diminish over time; allowing people to tolerate these medications quite well in the long term. Some side-effects, in reference to the SRI, may be reduced by adjusting the dose or by taking the dose at a different time of day. The side-effects of SRI have no permanent effect and will disappear completely when the medication is discontinued. When taking SRI or any other drug prescriptions, it is important to discuss any side-effects that are troubling you with your doctor.