Understanding and Treating OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects 2.5 million people in the United States. This disorder causes intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors, which can start to wear on your daily quality of life.

Venice Sanchez, MD, and the rest of our team at our practice in Newport Beach, California, want to help you better understand OCD and how to treat it in a way that’s best for you.

Taking a closer look at OCD

OCD is a condition where you have frequent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and need to perform certain behaviors (compulsions). OCD is usually a lifelong condition with symptoms that can lessen or worsen over time.

OCD can affect anyone, but certain things can put you at a higher risk of developing it. These include genetics, childhood trauma, or any changes in your brain caused by conditions such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.

Symptoms of OCD differ from person to person but are usually categorized into obsessions and compulsions. Obsessive thoughts usually trigger the need to perform compulsive behaviors.

Common obsessions are:

• Fear of making mistakes
• Fear of germs
• Thoughts of self-harm
• Need for order and symmetry 
• Overwhelming concern about morality

Often, you may feel you have to repeat certain behaviors compulsively to ward away these obsessive thoughts. 

Some compulsions you can have include:

• Washing your hands over and over
• Repeatedly checking locks and switches
• Arranging items in a certain way
• Always seeking reassurance

After completing the compulsive behavior, you may get momentary relief from obsessive thoughts, but unfortunately, the intrusive thoughts return and compel you to repeat the behaviors all over again.

Treatment options for OCD

While there is no cure for OCD, treatments are available to help manage its symptoms. Dr. Sanchez takes a holistic approach offering a variety of methods for managing the symptoms of your OCD. 

Some of those methods include:

• Talk therapy
• Lifestyle changes
• Mindfulness exercises
• Medication

A newer method that’s been FDA approved for managing OCD is a treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). 

Usually, an overactive supplementary motor cortex (SMA) causes OCD and gives you obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. TMS blocks the excess activity happening in your SMA to help you break away from intrusive and repetitive thoughts and behaviors.

Research has shown TMS to be effective in combating OCD symptoms, especially when it’s been resistant to other kinds of treatment.

To learn more about OCD and how to treat it, you can contact our office at 949-269-6142 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.