Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

#psychology

Behaving and being friends with or listening to negative people harms your thinking and mind. For example, people from the Middle East such as Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and Middle East countries, especially Egypt, which are known to be one of the most negative and lying groups in the world, can have a negative impact on the minds of other people who are in contact with these people. Such people that I have seen lacked reason and logic. No logic could be found in their minds. Such people are immersed in their own mental framework and think that no one but themselves understands what they say or do.

Negative and negative people are basically pathologically jealous, and this sick jealousy causes them to engage in false propaganda against those who are either because of their knowledge or because of religious, ethnic, and racial diversity. They try to convince those around and in contact with these people that a certain person is dangerous or even accuse them of espionage. This incorrect and pathological thinking is due to cultural poverty and narrow-mindedness and due to jealousy. It has nothing to do with the facts.

They engage in propaganda due to their inner and restless minds. These are mentally ill, and in essence, negative people are mentally ill.

This disease is much worse in North Africa than in the Middle East due to the dominance of religion. Negative thinking in North Africa, such as Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and all African countries, has become a disease of mental unrest and inner unrest due to the lack of accurate and correct education and healthy upbringing.

For example, such people can be dangerous to society.

Due to their obsessions, they can create obsessions in society. I myself witnessed the behavior of the Arabs in Switzerland and how they were explaining and spreading obsessions among the people there and resorting to lies to get close to the person they wanted to please.

Intellectual and mental obsessions do not arise spontaneously, but these people are negative thinkers, and with their negative explanations, they cause intellectual obsessions for others who do not have enough scientific knowledge and knowledge.

And they are gullible, especially the young people of Europe are gullible, and for reasons of inexperience, they quickly accept the words of others.

In order to inform ourselves, we must study in all fields, and today there is enough time and I have to make a detailed plan. To note, today there is a lot of public information on the Internet. There are many people who are studying these things, and there are many articles on this subject. Anyone who needs to study in this regard and to identify negative people can contact me and they can also study in this field. I can only provide the person with the keyword of knowledge in this regard, so they can study more themselves.  Samuel.ku35@gmail.com

Sometimes, we humans have to come to terms with the environment we live in in order to more easily free our thoughts and ideas and think well. But this cannot be done in all environments. Closed, old, undeveloped cultures. People who live in undeveloped cultures cannot help but be negative-minded because the environment is completely unstable and lacks physical and financial security. Therefore, it will have a negative impact on human behavior. When people with such thoughts enter a free country, they cannot be called healthy people based on their beliefs and thoughts. On the contrary, they have come from a closed culture and need treatment.

for example I investigated all the middle eastern and african born people who work in switzerland via (ORS) they had very negative behavior, negative thinking and negative movement.

Well, such behavior can create mental and intellectual obsessions for people. Fear and anxiety and mental obsessions

They never thought what to say, sometimes they lied a lot, especially in Bure. Geneva, Giffers, Vallrobe also in bodry.

several who worked in securitas, they had very negative things. Bad thinds  and sent to their friends in france, also in switzerland we could identify them via our app that could send out to their mobile phone, I personally have spoken to one of them, and explained to him that we have seen what he did, he complained to me who are mossad agents and sent reports to SEM.

such behavior is harmful to society securitas had zero experiences that apply to humanity, they tried to exploit their places for their debts.. we in the future will come for identifications of the personality goes out via newspapers, even tv channels about the muslim securitas in switzerland, they are actually dangerous, for women-

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions. These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions get in the way of daily activities and cause a lot of distress.

He's an obsessive football fan."

"She's obsessive about shoes."

For example, when a person speaks to a social worker, the social worker immediately finds things that are not in the person's memory.

"He's a compulsive liar."

We use these phrases to describe people who think about something a lot or do something repeatedly, even when others can't see any reason for it. It isn't usually a problem and, in some lines of work, can even be helpful.

However, some people have distressing thoughts that come into their mind again and again, or experience urges to do the same thing again and again. This can come to dominate your life, stop you from enjoying things and even stop you from doing things you need to do.

So, if:

you get awful thoughts coming into your mind, even though you struggle to keep them out

or

you have to touch or count things, or repeat the same action like washing over and over again.

you could have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

This leaflet is for anyone who has problems with obsessions or compulsions. We hope it will also be helpful for family and friends – and anyone else who wants to find out about OCD.

It describes what it’s like to have OCD, some of the help that is available, and how well it works, how you can help yourself and how to help someone else who is depressed. It also mentions some of the things we don't know about OCD. At the end of the leaflet, there is a list of other places to find more information, and references to the research on which this leaflet is based.

Disclaimer

This leaflet provides information, not advice.

The content in this leaflet is provided for general information only. It is not intended to, and does not, mount to advice which you should rely on. It is not in any way an alternative to specific advice.

You must therefore obtain the relevant professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action based on the information in this leaflet.

If you have questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider without delay.

If you think you are experiencing any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention from a doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

Although we make reasonable efforts to compile accurate information in our leaflets and to update the information in our leaflets, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in this leaflet is accurate, complete or up to date.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Disclaimer

Before you read, please read the disclaimer

“That man is an obsessive football fan.”

“That woman is obsessed with shoes.”

“He can’t control himself when he lies.”

We use these phrases to describe people who think about something a lot or do something repeatedly, even when others don’t see a reason to. It’s usually not a problem and can even be helpful in some areas of their lives.

But some people have disturbing thoughts that keep coming to them or a feeling that they have to do something repeatedly. These thoughts can take over your life, keep you from enjoying yourself, and even stop you from doing essential tasks.

So, if:

You have terrifying thoughts that come to mind despite trying to avoid them

or

You have to touch or count something, or do something like washing up repeatedly

you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

This leaflet is for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. We hope that it will be useful for family and friends or anyone looking for information about obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This leaflet explains obsessive-compulsive disorder. It also includes some of the help that is available, how to use help, how to help yourself or someone else who is depressed. It also points out some of the things we don’t know about obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the end of the leaflet, there is a list of other resources for finding more information, as well as the research on which this leaflet is based.

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Components of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder has three main parts.

Obsessions – thoughts that make you anxious

Feelings – the anxiety you feel

Compulsions – things you do to reduce your anxiety

Let’s look at these in more detail.

Obsessions - thoughts that make you anxious

"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt my little girl. I know I don't want to, but bad thoughts keep coming to my mind. I can imagine losing control and stabbing her. The only way I can get rid of these thoughts is to pray and then have a good thought like, 'I know I love her very much.' I usually feel a little better afterwards, until the next time those horrible images come to mind again. I hide all the sharp objects and knives in my house. I think to myself, 'You must be a terrible mother to think this way. I must be going crazy.' - Dawn

Thoughts - single words, short phrases or rhymes that are unpleasant, shocking or blasphemous. You try not to think about them, but they won't go away. You are worried that you might get infected (with germs, any kind of contamination, or disease), or that someone might get hurt because of your carelessness.

Images in your mind - you see your family dead, or you see yourself doing something violent or sexual that you would never do - like stabbing or abusing someone, or cheating. Such thoughts can be alarming to the person, their family, and even the professionals who are helping them. But we know that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder do not act on these thoughts even though they fear they might act out. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are not at any greater risk than the general population. However, if you have these thoughts, it is best to see a mental health professional who specializes in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Doubts - you spend hours wondering if you might have caused someone an accident or misfortune. You may worry that you may have hit someone with your car or left the doors and windows open.

Rumination - You constantly argue with yourself about doing this or that, so that you can't make a simple decision.

Perfectionism - You get annoyed if things aren't exactly in the right order, aren't balanced, or aren't in the right place, while other people don't. For example, if books aren't neatly arranged on a bookshelf.

Emotions - The anxiety you feel

My whole day is spent checking that nothing is going wrong. It takes me an hour to get out of the house in the morning because I'm not sure I've turned off all the electrical appliances like the stove and locked all the windows. Then I check five times to make sure the gas fireplace is off, but if it doesn't look right, I have to start all over again. Finally, I ask my partner to check everything for me. I'm always behind at work because I go over everything so many times just in case I've made a mistake. If I don’t check, I feel so anxious that I can’t stand it. I know it’s ridiculous, but I think if something bad happens, it’s my fault.” - John

You feel tense, anxious, scared, guilty, disgusted, or depressed.

If you do your compulsive behavior or ritual, you’ll feel better—but it doesn’t last long.

Compulsions—Things you do to reduce your anxiety

“I’m afraid I’ll catch someone else’s illness. I spend hours disinfecting every surface in my house to kill germs, and I wash my hands several times a day. I try not to leave the house as much as possible. When my husband and children come home, I ask them in detail about where they’ve been, to make sure they haven’t been to any dangerous places, like the hospital. I also make them take off all their clothes and wash themselves thoroughly. Part of me realizes that these fears are silly. My family is tired of this disease, but these thoughts have been going on for so long that I can’t stop them.” - Liz

Revisioning obsessive thoughts - You think of alternative “neutralizing” thoughts, such as counting, praying, or repeating a specific word over and over. This makes you feel like you can prevent the bad from happening. It’s also a way to get rid of unpleasant thoughts or images that are bothering you.

Rituals - You wash your hands regularly, do things really slowly and carefully, maybe put things in a certain order, or do activities in a certain order. This can be so time-consuming that it takes a long time to get somewhere or do something useful.

Checking - Checking your body for dirt, whether electrical appliances are turned off, whether the house is locked, or whether the route is safe.

Avoidance - Anything that reminds you of the worrying thoughts. You avoid touching certain objects, going to certain places, taking risks, or taking responsibility. For example, you might avoid the kitchen because you know there are sharp knives there.

Hoarding - Unused and outdated possessions. You can't throw anything away.

Reassurance - You constantly want others to tell you that everything is okay.

How common is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Around one in fifty people, with men and women equally affected, suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder at some point in their lives. This is over 1 million people in the UK.

Famous sufferers include biologist Charles Darwin, pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale, actress Cameron Diaz and footballer David Beckham.

Is gambling, eating and drinking 'out of control' obsessive-compulsive disorder?

No. The words 'compulsion' and 'obsession' are sometimes used to describe people who gamble, drink, shop, use street drugs - or even exercise excessively.

Although these behaviours can be pleasurable, the compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder never bring pleasure but are always felt as an unpleasant desire or burden.

How severe can obsessive-compulsive disorder become?

This varies, but when you don't have to constantly deal with OCD, all aspects of your work, relationships, and personal life become more enjoyable and productive.

Severe OCD can make it impossible for you to work regularly, participate in your family life - or even get along with family members.

You may be upsetting your family members, especially if you try to involve them in your repetitive behaviors

Do people with OCD lose control?

No, although people with OCD worry about losing control, they don't. They may even wonder if they are going crazy or going crazy. They are often ashamed of their condition and try to hide it, even though they are not to blame for it.

Although you may be worried about losing control, we know that this is very rare.

What other disorders are similar to OCD?

Many other disorders may resemble or overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Self-deprecation disorder, or distress about thinking you are ugly. You believe that a part of your face or body is ugly and spend hours in front of a mirror examining it or trying to cover it up. You may even avoid appearing in public.

Hair-pulling disorder - an excessive urge to pull out hair from your head or eyebrows.

Health anxiety (hypochondriasis) - a fear of having a serious physical illness, such as cancer.

People with Tourette syndrome (in which a person may suddenly scream or shake uncontrollably) often also have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Children and adults with some types of autism, such as Asperger syndrome, may appear to have obsessive-compulsive disorder because they prefer things to be done a certain way or repeat certain behaviors over and over.

When does obsessive-compulsive disorder start?

Many children have mild obsessions. They may pick their toys very carefully or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks. This goes away as the child gets older.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults usually begins in the teens or early twenties. Symptoms can come and go over time, but a person may seek help after years of having the condition.

 

What is the outlook for OCD without treatment?

Although OCD symptoms may improve over time or disappear for a while, they often return. Some people may get worse slowly, while others only experience more severe symptoms when they are anxious or depressed.

Treatment usually helps.

What causes OCD?

There are many different causes of OCD.

Genes - OCD is a complex disorder. Studies have shown that different genes play a role in causing the disorder. People with relatives with OCD are more likely to develop OCD than those without.

Stress - One in three people experience symptoms triggered by stressful life events.

Life changes - Times when a person suddenly has to take on more responsibilities - such as puberty, having a child or a new job.

Brain changes: We don't yet know whether this is a cause of OCD or a consequence - but researchers believe that if you have symptoms for more than a short period of time, it may be due to changes in a chemical called serotonin (also called 5HT) in the brain.

Personality: If you are a disciplined, meticulous, principled person with high standards, you are more likely to develop the disorder. These traits are naturally helpful, but if they become extreme, they can lead to OCD.

Thinking: Almost all of us have strange or disturbing thoughts and images in our minds from time to time. "What if I get hit by a car?" or "I might hurt my child." Often we quickly push these thoughts out of our heads and go about our normal lives. However, if you have high moral and responsible standards, you may feel that having these thoughts is terrifying. So you are more likely to worry about them coming back, which in turn makes them more likely to come back.

Asking for help

How can I help myself?

Here are some things that have worked for other people with OCD and may help you too.

Remember - it's not your fault and you're not going "crazy."

Expose yourself to your disturbing thoughts. This may sound strange, but it's actually a way to gain more control over them. You can record your thoughts and listen to them again, or write them down and read them again. Do this regularly for half an hour a day until your anxiety decreases.

Resist the compulsive behavior, not the obsessive thoughts.

Don't use alcohol or drugs to reduce your anxiety.

If your thoughts involve mental worries related to your beliefs or religion, it can sometimes be helpful to talk to a religious leader to understand whether these thoughts are caused by your OCD problem.

Contact a support group or visit the websites listed at the end of this leaflet.

Read self-help books such as one of the titles listed at the end of this leaflet.

Unhelpful behaviours

You may be surprised, but some of the ways you try to help yourself can actually perpetuate the disorder:

Trying to push away unpleasant thoughts - this usually makes them come back. For example, if you try not to think about a pink elephant for a minute, you may find it difficult to think about anything else.

Thinking about 'safe' things or 'correcting' thoughts. For example, taking time to replace a distressing thought with another thought (for example, counting to ten) or another image (for example, imagining a healthy person).

Rituals, checking, avoiding, or seeking approval from others can help reduce your anxiety for a short time—especially if you feel like it can prevent something bad from happening. But each time you do them, you reinforce your belief that these actions will prevent bad things from happening. So you feel more pressure to do them.

What help can I get?

There are a variety of treatments and support available for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

This type of therapy helps you change the way you think and behave so that you feel better and get on with your life.

There are two types of cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy (CT).

Exposure and response prevention (ERP)

This is a way to prevent the mutual reinforcement of compulsive behaviors and anxiety. We know that if you stay in a stressful situation for a long time, you gradually get used to it and your anxiety goes away. So, you gradually face the situation you fear (exposure), but at the same time you stop doing repetitive compulsive things like checking or cleaning (response prevention) and wait for the anxiety to go away.

It is usually best to do this step by step:

Make a list of all the things you are currently afraid of or avoiding;

Put the situations or thoughts that scare you the least at the bottom of the list and the worst at the top;

Then, starting at the bottom and working your way up the list, try to deal with them one by one. Do not move on to the next item until you have completely overcome the previous one.

This treatment is effective when practiced consistently, several times a day, for at least a week or two. Each time, continue this until your anxiety level is less than half of its worst state—this may take anywhere from ten to ninety minutes at first. It can help to record your anxiety level every five minutes—from zero (no fear) to ten (extreme fear). You will see how your anxiety increases and then decreases.

You may practice some of the steps with your therapist, but most of the time, do it on your own at a pace that feels comfortable. It is important to remember that you do not have to eliminate all your anxiety, just manage it better. Remember that your anxiety:

It’s unpleasant, but it won’t hurt you.

It will gradually go away.

With regular practice, it will become easier to deal with.

There are two main ways to do ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention):

Guided self-help – follow the advice in a book, tape or DVD, or use a software program on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also contact a professional from time to time for advice and support. If your OCD is mild and you feel confident enough to try ways to help yourself, this approach is probably right for you.

Regular, direct contact with a professional, either individually or in a group – this can be in person, by phone or by video call. These sessions are usually once a week or fortnightly at first and can last between 45 and 60 minutes each time. Up to ten hours of contact is recommended to start with, but more may be needed.

Here is an example:

John couldn’t leave the house on time for work every day because he had to check so many things in the house. He was worried that if he didn’t check certain things five times, his house would catch fire or be burglarized. He made a list of things he would check, starting with the simplest ones. His list looked like this:

Stove (least concern)

Kettle

Fireplace

Windows

Doors (most concern)

His first step was to check the stove, because that was the least concern. Instead of checking the stove several times to make sure it was off, he checked it just once (confrontation). At first he was very anxious. He stopped himself from checking again. He agreed that he wouldn’t ask his wife to check everything for him, and that he wouldn’t ask her to make sure the house was safe (response prevention). His fear gradually decreased over the course of two weeks.

Then he moved on to stage two (the kettle) and so on. Gradually, he was able to leave the house without doing any of the repetitive checks. He now shows up for work on time.

Effectiveness

3 out of 4 people who complete ERP (Exposure Response Prevention) are helped a lot. Of those who improve, 1 in 5 will have symptoms in the future and need more treatment. However, 1 in 4 people will stop using ERP, or not finish it. They may be too scared or overwhelmed to use it.

Cognitive Therapy (CT)

Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps you change your response to thoughts, rather than trying to get rid of them. It is useful if you have anxious or obsessive thoughts but are not taking any action to calm them down. This method can be added to exposure and response prevention (ERP) to help overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Cognitive therapy helps you to:

Stop fighting thoughts

We all have strange thoughts sometimes, but they are all just thoughts and fantasies. These thoughts don't mean you're a bad person or that bad things are going to happen - and trying to get rid of them won't help. Cognitive therapy can help you feel better or even calm down when you have these thoughts. You can learn to treat them with curiosity or as a hobby. If even more unpleasant thoughts come, you learn not to resist them, just let them happen and think about them in the same way. Such thoughts often disappear when you stop trying to eliminate them.

Change your response to your thoughts

You learn to notice “uncomfortable thoughts about thoughts,” such as “I’m a bad person for thinking this way.” You can keep a journal of these unhelpful thought patterns, then challenge them by asking yourself these questions:

What evidence is there for—and against—the truth of this idea?

How helpful is this thought? What other way is there to look at this?

What is the worst/best/most realistic outcome?

What advice could I give a friend who is having my problems? If my advice to them is different from the advice I give myself, why is that?

Confront responsibility and blame

You are faced with unrealistic, self-critical thoughts that can include:

Giving too much importance to your thoughts (they are “just” thoughts);

Giving too much probability that bad things will happen;

Accepting responsibility for bad things, even when they are out of your control;

Try to get rid of all the dangers in the lives of those you love.

Try unhelpful beliefs

A common fear in OCD is that "thinking about something will make it happen." Try looking out a window at a building and imagining it collapsing. Create a really strong image in your mind. What happens? Another disturbing belief is that "having bad thoughts is just as bad as doing them." Imagine your neighbor is not feeling well and needs to go shopping. Just think about doing the shopping. Does this thought make you a good person? Not really. In order to be helpful, you have to do the action. The same is true for "bad" thoughts. It's important to remind yourself that the person with OCD does not act on their obsessive thoughts.

A cognitive therapist will help you decide which of your thoughts you want to change and will help you create new thoughts that are more appropriate, helpful and realistic.

Most sessions with a therapist take place in your local GP surgery, clinic or sometimes hospital. You may be able to do cognitive therapy over the phone, or if you can't leave your home, have the session in your own home.

Antidepressant

SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants can help reduce obsessions and compulsions, even if you are not depressed. Examples include sertraline, fluoxetine, paroxetine, escitalopram and fluvoxamine.

These drugs are generally safe, but they may cause side effects such as restlessness, headache, dry mouth or nausea in the first few days. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be used alone or with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for moderate to severe OCD. Higher doses often work better for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

If treatment with an SSRI doesn't help at all after 3 months, the next step is to switch to another SSRI or a drug called clomipramine. It's best to continue taking the medication for at least 12 months, if it works. These medications are not addictive, but they should be tapered off slowly over a few weeks before stopping completely.

Effectiveness

About 6 in 10 people improve with medication. On average, their symptoms are reduced by about a third. Anti-obsessional medications help prevent relapses of obsessive-compulsive disorder as long as they are taken, even after several years. But - about 1 in 3 people who stop taking the medication have symptoms come back in the months after stopping. This is much less likely if medication is combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Which approach is best for me – medication or talking to a therapist?

Exposure therapy (ERP) can be tried without the help of a professional in mild cases, and it is effective and has no side effects other than anxiety. On the other hand, it requires a lot of determination and effort, and can also increase anxiety for a short time.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication are equally likely to be effective. If you have mild OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy alone is effective.

If you have moderately severe OCD, you may initially choose medication (for 12 weeks) or cognitive behavioral therapy (for up to 10 hours of counseling with a therapist). If you do not improve, it is best to try both treatments together. In some parts of the country, you may have to wait several months to see a specialist.

If you have severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication is probably the best treatment. Medication alone is helpful when your obsessive-compulsive disorder is more than mild and you feel you can't cope with the anxiety caused by exposure therapy and OCD. This helps about 6 out of 10 people, but their obsessive-compulsive disorder is more likely to return in the future. With this treatment, about 1 in 3 people have a recurrence of their obsessions, compared with about 1 in 5 people with exposure therapy. Treatment lasts about a year. This is usually not the best treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It's worth talking to your doctor about the best treatment option for you and getting more information. You may also want to talk to a trusted family member or friend.

What if treatment doesn't work?

Your doctor can refer you to a specialist team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. They may suggest:

Adding cognitive therapy to medication or exposure therapy;

Combining two anti-obsessional medications, such as clomipramine and citalopram;

Adding antipsychotic medications, such as aripiprazole and risperidone;

Treating other conditions (about 1 in 3 people with obsessive-compulsive disorder also have anxiety, depression or a substance abuse problem);

Working with your family and caregivers to get support and guidance from them.

If you have difficulty living alone, they may suggest accommodation where you can live and get help to become more independent.

With treatment, the future is good for most people with OCD. However, if you have very severe OCD that is not improving:

You may have a more intensive daily programme of psychotherapy (cognitive behavioural therapy and systematic desensitisation therapy) with an inpatient stay in hospital.

Deep brain stimulation using electrical pulses to relieve symptoms is a new approach that is currently being investigated.

If nothing else has helped, a brain operation called atrophic neurectomy is a last resort and is rarely recommended. In fact, it is a last resort. This is because it has dangerous side effects.

Do I need to go to hospital for treatment?

Many people get good results from general surgery or hospital-based clinics. Admission to a mental health unit is only recommended if:

The symptoms are very severe. You are unable to take care of yourself properly or are having suicidal thoughts;

You have other serious mental health problems such as an eating disorder, schizophrenia, psychotic disorder or severe depression;

Your obsessive-compulsive disorder prevents you from going to the clinic for treatment.

Which treatments are not effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Some of these treatments are effective in other situations – but there is no strong evidence to support their use in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder:

Complementary or alternative therapies such as hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal remedies – even if they sound appealing.

Other types of antidepressants, unless you also suffer from depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Sleeping pills and painkillers (zopiclone, diazepam and other benzodiazepines) for more than two weeks. These drugs can be addictive.

Couples or marital therapy – unless there are other problems in the relationship besides the OCD. Help partners and family members to try to understand more about OCD and how it can be treated.

Counselling and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The more specific treatments described above seem to work much better for the symptoms of OCD. However, some people with OCD find it helpful to talk about their childhood and past experiences.

What if there is a long wait to start CBT?

Your GP may refer you to a local service called the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) or to a specialist mental health team.

There is currently a shortage of NHS CBT specialists. In some parts of the country you may be on a waiting list for several months. Qualified therapists are often members of the British Association of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies.

If the measures outlined in the ‘How can I help myself?’ section are not working, you may need to contact your GP. If that doesn't help, you could also ask your GP about starting an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor).

What can my family and friends offer?

Here are some ways in which family and friends can offer support and help.

The behaviour of someone with OCD can be very frustrating - try to remember that they are not trying, are being stubborn or acting strangely - they are just coping as best they can.

It can take a while for someone to accept that they need help. Encourage them to read up on OCD and talk to a professional.

Find out more about OCD.

You may be able to help your relative's compulsions by responding differently to exposure therapy:

Encourage them to confront the feared situations;

Say no to engaging in repetitive tasks or engaging in obsessive behaviours (such as checking);

Don't reassure them that things are fine.

Don't worry about someone who has an obsessive fear of violence. They are not doing anything violent. It's not happening.

It's best not to physically stop them from doing repetitive tasks.

Ask them if you can go with them to appointments with their GP, psychiatrist or other specialist.

What other supports and resources are available?

Support groups.

best regards

Samuel

07.01.2025

samuel.ku35@gmail.com

0046735501680