Mental illness can come in many different forms. Mental illness may have a small impact on someone’s life to all the way up to a life-altering and crippling mental condition. Of the various forms of mental illness across the country, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is often one of the least understood conditions that can impact peoples’ lives in a big way.
OCD can grind the sufferer’s quality of life down as the obsessions and compulsions take over every facet of their day-to-day life, but luckily OCD sufferers can get some help. To cut through some of the misinformation about OCD, let’s look at some of the more common OCD therapies.
3 Types of OCD Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The most common form of counseling for OCD therapy comes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT.) CBT therapy analyzes behaviors and actions and gives you tools to change the way you think and behave. This is helpful to OCD sufferers who need help in learning how to address their obsessions and compulsions in a positive manner. CBT has been used for several years and has proven successful. CBT can be performed by a certified counselor, through an outpatient program, and through “day camp” intensive programs. CBT coupled with medication is the most popular form of OCD therapy in the United States.
In-Patient Therapy/Residential
For more serious cases of OCD, in-patient treatment may be recommended. In in-patient therapy, patients will work with counselors and professionals in a variety of therapies including CBT, one-on-one counseling, group therapy, medication, and more, all under the watchful eyes and safe confines of a mental health facility. This has been proven effective for OCD sufferers who can’t seem to get better with common therapy or outpatient programs.
Drastic Options
In very rare cases, more drastic options may be taken for OCD that is resistant to typical forms of therapy. In the absolute worst cases of OCD, doctors may recommend deep brain stimulation, a gamma knife procedure, and even brain surgery. Again, these forms of treatments are only for severe cases of OCD that aren’t responding to less invasive methods of treatment.
While there are many ways to treat OCD, the most common are CBT therapy, in-patient programs, and invasive treatments when the OCD can’t be licked. If you feel that your condition or the condition of a loved one is impacting your life, make the call to a therapist’s office to start getting the help needed today.