OCD Treatment
OCD Treatment in Naples, FL
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which a person suffers from uncontrollable, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that they feel they must enact to alleviate the anxiety that accompanies the repetitive thoughts.
New research suggests that medically-supervised ketamine infusion therapy could help relieve a significant proportion of people with OCD. Ketamine therapy can be a life-changing experience with one infusion. In some trials, ketamine therapy led to an immediate recession in OCD symptoms.
About OCD
5 Symptom Subtypes of OCD
Although OCD symptoms generally fall into one of these five subtypes, it is possible for OCD to undergo changes in the nature and focus of symptoms.
- Contamination Obsessions with Washing/Cleaning: Those suffering from this symptom subtype tend to ruminate on feelings of discomfort associated with germs/contamination and will wash and clean excessively.
- Harm Obsessions with Checking Compulsions: Those experiencing this symptom subtype will often have intense thoughts regarding possible harm, either to themselves or others, and will use checking rituals to relieve their distress.
- Obsessions Without Visible Compulsions: Those experiencing this symptom subtype will often have unwanted obsessions regarding sexual, religious, or aggressive themes. Triggers related to these obsessions are usually avoided at all costs.
- Symmetry Obsessions with ordering, arranging, and counting compulsions: Those suffering from this symptom subtype may need to rearrange objects constantly. It can also involve thinking or saying sentences or words repeatedly until one feels it has been accomplished perfectly.
- Hoarding: This symptom subtype involves the collection of items of little or no value until one’s living space is consumed with so much clutter it becomes nearly uninhabitable. This behavior is often sparked by obsessive fears of losing items one feels may be needed one day.
Obsession Symptoms
Obsessions are persistent thoughts, feelings, or images that trigger distress or anxiety. Those with OCD may try to alleviate these thoughts with compulsive behavior. Obsessions often get in the way of your personal goals and daily routines.
Obsessions Could Look Like:
- Fear of contamination
- Needing things tidy and symmetrical
- Aggressive or horrific thoughts
- Disturbing sexual or religious thoughts
Symptoms of Obsession May Include:
- Fear of germs when handling objects others have touched
- Overwhelming distress when objects are out of order
- Upsetting thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else
- Strong impulses to shout obscenities or act inappropriately
- Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions to the point of obsession itself
Compulsion Symptoms
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that range in elaborateness. Usually, these behaviors are intended to reduce anxiety accompanying obsessive thoughts. However, these compulsions often temporarily relieve anxiety and offer no pleasure in themselves.
Someone with OCD may invent rules or rituals they uphold to control anxiety and obsessive thoughts. These compulsions are usually intricate and do not observably affect the problems they’re intended to fix.
Compulsions usually have themes, including:
- Cleanliness
- Counting
- Orderliness or symmetry
- Following strict regiments
- Requiring reassurances
Compulsion Signs and Symptoms Can Look Like:
- Repeatedly washing hands to the point of skin damage
- Checking the same door to see that it’s locked
- Worrying over whether the stove is off, even after many check-ins
- Counting in certain patterns
- Silently repeating a prayer, word, or phrase
- Arrange your canned goods to face the same way
Risk Factors
Some factors that may increase the risk of triggering OCD may include:
- Family history. Family members with the disorder can increase your risk of developing OCD.
- Stressful life events. This reaction may sometimes trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals, and emotional distress associated with OCD.
- Other mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorders.
Prevention
There is no single way to prevent OCD. Seeking treatment as soon as possible can prevent OCD from becoming more severe. Some people with previously treatment-resistant OCD have experienced great success with ketamine infusions, an innovative new treatment option.
How Does Ketamine Treat OCD?
OCD can respond to medication, psychotherapy, TMS, ketamine, or a combination of these modalities. Although most patients with OCD respond to treatment, some continue to experience symptoms. While the administration of TMS and ketamine differs, both can be fast-acting and highly effective for various anxiety disorders.
TMS and ketamine are more effective than conventional medications for OCD in patients that have not responded to previous medication trials. Both treatments address the brain areas most commonly associated with anxiety and depression. Ketamine works chemically, while TMS works electromagnetically to rewire the brain, diverting regions and actions linked with OCD.
Sometimes people with OCD also have other mental disorders, such as general or social anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphic disorder, in which someone mistakenly believes that a part of their body is abnormal. These accompanying disorders must be considered when making treatment decisions.
Getting Treatment
If you struggle with obsessive or compulsive behavior patterns, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might be the reason. At Dura Medical in Naples, Florida, behavioral health specialists Stephen Durand, CRNA, APRN, Kathryn Hart, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CPNP-PC, and their expert team offer a variety of OCD treatments to reduce embarrassing symptoms and give you a better quality of life. Call the office to schedule an appointment, or book one online today.
