Live Life Team
MEDICATION REQUIRED FOR OCD or OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Moderate to severe cases of OCD require medication of SSRI’s, which is a form of antidepressant. The medication will take at least 12 weeks to show its effect or benefit and the medication may continue for at least twelve months and reviewed thereafter and if the symptoms have gone or are very few, it may be stopped. SSRI’s causes certain side effects like Nausea or Headache, but they will go away in a few weeks time. In rare cases, it may increase anxiety leading to suicidal thoughts in which case the doctor should be immediately contacted.
Clomipramine is a substitute to SSRIs and is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). This is only used if the person is unwilling or not able to take SSRIs as this has more side effects than SSRIs which include Constipation, Dry Mouth, Dizziness, Headache, Increase in Sweating and Fatigue. It is also not taken if a person has low blood pressure or heart problem.
Surgery is normally the last resort to be taken into consideration and only after at least the medication and CBT have been tried for five or more years with no success.
Surgery is conducted by a neurosurgeon and it involves burning of a small portion of Limbic system by giving electric current or a pulse of radiation. Limbic system in the brain is responsible for generating higher emotions and ultimately is involved in controlling the behaviour and memory functions of the brain.
After burning the small portion of Limbic system, then the brain is re-wired. The surgery may resolve the severe OCD fully or partially. Although, it cannot be considered a guaranteed cure but as per the information available the following results were obtained by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP):-
There has been Marked improvement in 54% cases
There has been Less improvement in 27% cases
There has been No improvement in 14% cases
There have been 1% cases where Symptoms got worse
Short term Side effects of surgery are Mental confusion, Headaches, Seizure, Poor concentration and memory loss which may go off in about a month’s time and Long term side effects are gain in weight and Apathy (Loss of interest) which
COMPLICATIONS THAT CAN OCCUR IN OCD or OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
It has been observed that in some cases of OCD depressions sets in which if not taken care or treated immediately it can actually get more severe. In depression one feels down and starts losing his interest and pleasure in all the things. A combination of OCD and severe depression can lead to feeling of suicide therefore the matter should be reported to the doctor immediately.
SUPPORT GROUPS FOR OCD
There are various support groups involved with people suffering from OCD and getting involved with them will be of immense help as it provides the opportunity to interact with people and not getting isolated which will give great psychological support to the person suffering from OCD.
Similarly support groups also interact with the friends and family members of the person suffering from OCD and provide lot of information and advice to them.
