Effective Psychological Treatment For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder belonging to the group of anxiety disorders. This is a relatively common problem that is believed to affect 2% of people.

OCD is characterized by invasive, repeated and insistent thoughts that cause suffering or states of restlessness such as restlessness, worry, fear and anxiety.

Psychologist M. José Polo Carrillo from the Málaga PsicoAbreu Psychologists office states that, in response to these fears, the person begins to perform repetitive actions in the form of compulsive rituals that are beyond their control. These compulsions momentarily relieve the anxiety and worry caused by obsessive ideas until the anxiety progressively increases again, thus forming a vicious circle from which it is very difficult to get out.

Causes of OCD

Although the causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder cannot yet be determined, factors are known that could explain its appearance. The disease is known to affect men and women equally and that frequently begins in adolescence. It is not ruled out that the first symptoms of it also manifest themselves in early adulthood. In many cases there are genetic factors that precipitate its subsequent development, and in other cases the trigger is a stressful event such as trauma, death of a family member, separation, etc.

A certain effectiveness of serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants is observed in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and this suggests that it may be due to an alteration in serotonin levels, which is the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood, aggression and impulsivity.

Symptoms

The symptoms of OCD vary depending on the type of behavioral patterns that are reproduced Let’s see what are the main categories that serve to group these symptoms (and that usually occur at the same time in the same person).

Cognitive

Obsessions that revolve around conscientiousness, forbidden thoughts, aggressive ideas fear of causing harm to others, ideas of sexual content, seeking symmetry in everything, fear of contamination.

Behavioral

Compulsions or repetitive actions that have to do with behaviors such as making sure you have closed doors, turned off lights, turned off the water, etc. Or behaviors such as washing, organizing things, touching certain things or touching them in a certain way, counting, etc.

Categories: types of patients

Taking into account the nature of the obsessive thinking of people who suffer from OCD, the following categories have been established.

1. Testers

They execute repetitive actions to make sure everything is okay For example, they make sure they have turned off the light, closed the door, etc.

2. Collectors

They keep objects without knowing how to get rid of them.

3. Computers

This people They need things to have a rigid distribution and symmetry The obsessive idea revolves around the idea of ​​perfection, but this perfectionism is pathological, since the moment in which the person is satisfied never ends up arriving.

4. Washers

Your attention and concerns are focused on hygiene , so they are obsessed with real or hypothetical dirt. Additionally, some believe they have a disease.

5. Sexual

They tend to have recurrent sexual thoughts and behaviors.

6. With excessive responsibility

This people They say you have to always do the right thing and in specific circumstances.

7. With magical thinking

People have unpleasant thoughts in which a certain action is related to disastrous consequences that are objectively not linked to the above in any way

For example, a person may think that if they do not always do things the same way, this could lead to an illness, an accident, or something serious for both them and one of their family members.

8. Accountants

They present the need to count : cars, numbers, windows, etc.

9. Hypochondriacs

They are defined by believing they have some illness and constantly going to doctors, taking tests, searching for information on the internet, forums, etc.

OCD Treatment

In the treatment of this anxiety disorder, medication is useful to relieve the symptoms, reducing their frequency and intensity, but the treatment always will have to be combined with specialized psychological therapy

Psychologist M. José Polo defends that one of the most used techniques in the treatment of OCD is exposure therapy and response prevention which help the patient learn effective strategies to control obsessive thinking and reduce behavior that causes alterations in their daily life.

For example, at the Malagueño Psychologists Málaga PsicoAbreu office, which has more than 24 years of experience in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, works with different psychological tools and techniques to help people with OCD in their treatment, among which are mentioned therapy.

The person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder must understand that must be constant and responsible in its treatment both in following the medication guidelines prescribed by the medical practitioner, and in learning and reproducing the strategies learned in the psychotherapy sessions. To do this, it is essential to have the help of a specialist psychologist to guide any doubts that may arise. throughout the psychological treatment from start to finish.