Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder which is characterized by intrusive thoughts that are too distressing or difficult to control.

The obsessive thoughts are often related to a specific object, activity, situation, or mental state. The compulsive behaviors are often aimed at neutralizing or avoiding the obsessions.

According a psychiatrist in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, there are around 2.2 million people in India with OCD.

How do you know if you have OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can cause extreme distress, interfere with work and other activities, and disrupt daily life.

Symptoms of OCD usually start in childhood or early adulthood. However, OCD symptoms can appear for the first time at any age.

There are two types of OCD:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): This is characterized by unwanted thoughts, images, impulses, or urges that seem too distressing or overwhelming to manage. The person might experience these thoughts or feelings repeatedly, without being able to control them.

Obsessions are distressing, repetitive thoughts that make a person feel anxious or distressed. Compulsions are behaviors the person feels compelled to do in response to an obsession.

Tourette syndrome: This is a disorder that causes a person to say things that they don’t mean or do things that they don’t want to do. It also causes involuntary body movements.

What causes OCD?

The exact cause of OCD is unknown. There is evidence that OCD may have a biological basis, because OCD has some features of anxiety disorders, such as increased sensitivity to stress and reduced heart rate variability (a measure of how your body responds to stress).

Other factors that have been suggested to play a role in the development of OCD include:

Family history – having a parent with OCD is one of the most common risk factors for OCD.

Genetic predisposition – people who have first-degree relatives with OCD are more likely to develop it than people who have no family members with OCD.

Early experiences – early stressful or traumatic events can increase the risk for developing OCD later in life.

Certain medications – some antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs have been associated with OCD.

Treatment

Treatment for OCD depends on what type of symptoms you have.

If the symptoms are mild, then you may be able to control them with medication and other strategies. If the symptoms are severe, then you may need to take medication, attend a specialized treatment program, and/or try other treatments.

Medication

Medications are usually not effective as a single treatment for OCD, but they can help to reduce the symptoms when used in combination with other treatments.

The best psychiatrist in Bhopal says that the goal of medication treatment is to relieve anxiety, depression, or other symptoms that might cause OCD symptoms.

Other treatments

Other treatments include psychotherapy and other behavioral therapies. These are used to treat the specific problems that caused the obsessions or compulsions.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking with a mental health professional about your concerns. Psychotherapy can be helpful for people who have milder forms of OCD.

Behavioral therapy

This type of treatment uses strategies to change your behavior. For example, you may learn to recognize the thoughts that cause you distress, and then practice ways to avoid acting on them.

Exposure and response prevention (ERP)

This type of treatment is used to reduce anxiety by helping people face the feared situations in a controlled way. ERP is used for both obsessions and compulsions.