In a 300- to 500-word blog post written for a patient and/or caregiver audience, explain the signs and symptoms of OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, and appropriate community resources and referrals.

 Blog on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, often known as OCD, is a mental condition that is characterized by a cycle of unpleasant thoughts and anxieties that causes an individual to engage in obsessive and repetitive actions. The obsessions and compulsions make it difficult to go about one’s regular life and create a great deal of emotional torment (Stein et al., 2019). OCD often revolves around particular themes, such as an extreme fear of being contaminated by germs. As such, one may wash their hands obsessively to the point that they become sore and blistered in an effort to allay their fears around the possibility of contamination.   Blog on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example

Signs and Symptoms

Those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder often exhibit symptoms of both obsession and compulsion. However, it is also possible to experience only the signs of compulsion or only the symptoms of obsession. Some examples of signs and symptoms associated with obsession include the following:

• The fear that one’s body may get contaminated if they touch items that have been touched by other people.
• An intense amount of tension when items are not put in an ordered arrangement or are not facing a certain direction.
• Upsetting sexual thoughts.
• Staying away from activities like shaking hands could set off an obsessional reaction (Kohler et al., 2018).

On the other hand, some examples of signs and symptoms associated with compulsion include:

• Washing one’s hands till the skin gets irritated.
• Counting according to a specific order.
• Silently repeating a phrase, word, or prayer
• Placing objects such that they all face the same direction.

Pharmacological Treatments

Obsessions and compulsions associated with OCD may be easier to manage with the assistance of some psychiatric medications. Antidepressants are the typical first line of treatment for OCD (Del Casale et al., 2019). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its approval to the following antidepressants for the treatment of OCD:

• Sertraline for adults and children six years and older
• Paroxetine for adults only
• Fluvoxamine for adults and children eight years and older
• Fluoxetine for adults and children seven years and older
• Clomipramine for adults and children ten years and older

However, medical professionals could prescribe a different antidepressant or different psychiatric medicine

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Nonpharmacological Treatments

In the treatment of the obsessive-compulsive disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the nonpharmacological approach that is presently recommended (Marazziti et al., 2020). A clinical psychologist who is also skilled in various behavioral therapeutic interventions may successfully work with a patient to minimize OCD symptoms. Behavior therapy, more especially exposure combined with response prevention, is frequently just as efficient as medicine on its own. Nevertheless, the treatment that is often the most effective is a combination of behavioral therapy and medicines. Blog on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example

Community Resources and Referrals

The majority of the community resources available for OCD are educational in nature. There is a broad range of educational resources available for the purpose of comprehending and managing OCD. They include articles written by experts in the field of obsessive-compulsive disorder, handouts, fact sheets and brochures, books, and other forms of multimedia resources, as well as an OCD newsletter and archive.

Patients who suffer from OCD are often referred to psychological therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and OCD support groups. According to Worrall et al. (2018), support groups are useful for many individuals who suffer from OCD because they may provide reassurance and guidance on how to cope, lessen the sense of loneliness, and offer the opportunity to interact with other individuals.

References

Del Casale, A., Sorice, S., Padovano, A., Simmaco, M., Ferracuti, S., Lamis, D. A., Rapinesi, C., Sani, G., Girardi, P., Kotzalidis, G. D., & Pompili, M. (2019). Psychopharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Current Neuropharmacology, 17(8), 710-736. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159×16666180813155017

Kohler, K. C., Coetzee, B. J., & Lochner, C. (2018). Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A South African narrative. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0253-8

Marazziti, D., Pozza, A., Avella, M. T., & Mucci, F. (2020). What is the impact of pharmacotherapy on psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder? Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 21(14), 1651-1654. https://doi.org/10.1080/14656566.2020.1775814

Stein, D. J., Costa, D. L., Lochner, C., Miguel, E. C., Reddy, Y. C., Shavitt, R. G., Van den Heuvel, O. A., & Simpson, H. B. (2019). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0102-3

Worrall, H., Schweizer, R., Marks, E., Yuan, L., Lloyd, C., & Ramjan, R. (2018). The effectiveness of support groups: A literature review. Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 22(2), 85-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/mhsi-12-2017-0055

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