Although obsessive-compulsive disorder is a severe and chronic mental health disorder, there are effective treatment options that can help you through your symptoms to experience long-term relief. OCD, an anxiety-related disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions, can range from mild to severe and can easily make a person feel guilty, embarrassed, and anxious about their unwanted thoughts and compulsions. They can often be overwhelming, taking up hours of a person’s day, and can affect people at any age.
At Mental Health Haven, we’re here to help. We can provide various treatments and therapies to help you through your symptoms and foster positive outcomes, all within a safe, supportive environment.
Understanding OCD and How It’s Treated
As a mental illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder consists of two primary classifications for its symptoms.
- Obsessions: Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, some of which can be distressing and persistent. Some common examples include obsessions over dirt and disease, violence, religious themes, and current news.
- Compulsions: Compulsions are overwhelming urges that people with OCD act on to attempt to resolve those obsessions. These actions include cleaning, counting, repetitive actions, praying, and checking over items.
This disorder can have an enormous impact on a person’s life, where each obsession and compulsion can take up hours of a person’s day. In chronic cases, these obsessions and compulsions can become so severe that they interfere and compound with other mental illnesses. For family members and loved ones, seeing someone with OCD can be devastating if they do not understand what they’re experiencing. In these cases, people with OCD will often attempt to hide their illnesses from others, causing even more emotional distress and problems for everyone involved.
Currently, the exact cause of OCD isn’t known, but it is believed that this disorder is genetic in nature and runs in families. More research needs to be done to understand this condition better and how it impacts people’s lives. However, many psychological treatments and medications can be used to guide and support people with OCD back to a healthy mindset where their obsessions and compulsions are better managed and under control. Some of these treatment options include psychiatric counseling, medication management, and individual psychotherapy.
People with OCD can easily relapse from their treatments, just as similar to those with addictions and suicidal thoughts. OCD symptoms should always be taken seriously, and if you’ve started to notice that you’re experiencing symptoms and feel unwell, then it’s recommended that you have a plan in place to get back to recovery.
How Mental Health Haven Helps Patients With OCD
At Mental Health Haven, we can provide multiple treatment options to improve your mental health and will work with you to build up skills for managing your condition and creating a more positive outlook on life. We’re here for you, and under the care of Kristen Chambers, we can happily help you recover from your symptoms and help you feel like you again. To learn more, contact Mental Health Haven today to schedule an online or in-person appointment.