Things You Should Know About OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a common mental health issue than many people realize. Visiting a specialist is mandatory if you have OCD in New York.
Understanding a condition is the best way to manage or overcome it. The following are some things that will help everyone better understand OCD:
OCD Has No Cure
OCD is a chronic condition similar to diabetes and asthma. What it means is that you can get the condition under some form of control or management, but there is no cure as yet for the disease.
The main train of thought is that OCD is genetic which puts it outside the realm of medical treatment. However, that may change with advances in medical technology.
Having no cure is a serious statement which means that you need to use the tools provided to keep the condition under control. Failure to do so means a relapse and falling back into severe symptoms of the condition.
You Can Resist an Obsessive Action But Not a Thought
All thoughts are biochemically generated by the brain. They cannot be shut down or restricted using will-power.
If you have OCD, that is a very loaded statement. It means that your obsessive thoughts will arise whether you like it or not. The good news is that you can decide how you react to the thoughts.
You can be conscious of the process between thought and action. Meditation is a great practice in this regard as it will help you develop discernment as to which thoughts to act upon and which to ignore, which should help with your OCD.
Recovery Takes Time
Learning to manage OCD symptoms is a daunting challenge that requires time. The more serious the case of OCD, the longer it will take to treat.
The process is different for every OCD patient. However, six months to one year of consistent behavioral therapy is often enough to alleviate most of the compulsive behavior.
The key to OCD treatment is to be consistent from beginning to end, as there is no such thing as a partially recovered OCD patient.
Patients who do not fully complete their treatment usually find themselves back at square one dealing with serious symptoms again.
If a person has had OCD for a long time without being treated, it will take long for them to go back to regular life.
Therapy is the Best Treatment for OCD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the form of treatment that has been proven to have the most positive impact on OCD. Since OCD is a genetic condition with behavioral symptoms, ordinary talking therapy accomplishes little to alleviate the condition.
The form of behavioral therapy most successful with managing OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). The therapy involves being subjected to your worst fears and anxieties while trying to resist the compulsion for obsessive behavior.
After some time, it becomes apparent to many OCD patients that they have a choice as to how they react to any situation and that their thoughts are independent of their reactions. By changing such habits, many patients are able to control their compulsions in the long term.
There is much more to learn about OCD. The above is only a start and the more you know, the better you can manage your OCD.
