I recently had a visit from some family. Two of the 15 visitors have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They can hardly stand to visit my house. Don't get me wrong, my house is not dirty. There is however some cluttered areas. For my obsessive compulsive family members this clutter is crazy making. What really strikes me as funny is that when I visit their houses they too have some cluttered areas, its just that they are hidden, under beds, in closets and other such hiding places. Apparently not hiding it is where I lie in fault.
The Obsessive Compulsive Foundation has estimated that approximately 1 in 50 adults suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Approximately twice as many have experienced Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at some point in their lives.
There are many forms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. There are many treatment options available for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. You don't need to suffer needlessly. For those who don't believe they are suffering, think of your last visit to a friend or neighbor's home or even a family members home. Did that clutter on that one shelf bother you? Did you want to clear the shelf for your friend or family member? Did it set you on edge? Then please read on for some helpful information.
Behavioral Therapy is a therapy in which you are repeatedly exposed to a situation that sets off one of your compulsive behaviors. Say for example you are afraid that you will get germs by handshaking so you avoid shaking hands with anyone. You might be required to shake hands with several people, then the therapist would not allow you to wash your hands after you shake hands. At first you are going to be very anxious, as time goes by this anxiety will abate and with time you will relax and do better with the situation. With practice you will learn to control this impulse and your anxiety will be reduced. Continued practice of this exercise will give you more confidence and allow you to free yourself of your anxiety. As time goes by your therapist will bring other compulsions into play and work with you on them.
Cognitive Therapy will help the patient address their own thoughts of responsibility by how they react to a given situation. By targeting their thought patterns and showing the patient that there are other responses to a given situation the patient is freed from that form of compulsion. It is something the patient will have to continually safeguard themselves from by retraining their own mind to react in a more appropriate manner to a given situation. Gradually the patient can include other compulsions and eventually the thought process will come naturally without having to work so hard at it.
Medications are also available to assist the patient in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Medications have a less successful rate as often the patient feels better and decides that they no longer require the medication. This couldn't be further from the truth. Without changing the thought process, stopping the medication will allow the condition to recur. Never ever stop your medication without first discussing it with your doctor and your family. The medications work on the chemicals in the brain adjusting them to a different level and causing the patient to react differently by how many levels of the chemicals are present in the body at any given time.
Patients can also benefit from family and group therapies designed to promote self awareness and family awareness of the condition.
With proper treatment the Obsessive Compulsive Patient can lead a normal and healthy life.
