OCD

Do you have obsessive thoughts or compulsive, repetitive behavior that’s interfering with your daily life? You may be living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a disorder that affects 2-3% of Americans. Caroline Bjorkman, DO, at Mind Space Wellness, LLC, provides expert OCD treatments to patients aged 12 and older at Fort Lee, New Jersey, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. If you’re interested in hearing more about your treatment options, call the friendly staff or book an appointment online.

What is OCD? 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition that causes you to have frequent, undesired thoughts or mental images. To alleviate the thoughts, you may perform repetitive behaviors.

It’s normal for symptoms and behaviors to come and go across your lifetime, and the average onset age for OCD diagnosis is 19. OCD benefits from receiving treatment early on — especially before symptoms become severe. 

What are the symptoms of OCD?

OCD symptoms normally include both obsessions and compulsions. 

OCD obsessions 
You may experience intrusive thoughts or mental images like:

• Fear of germs 
• Unwanted sexual images or thoughts 
• Fear of making mistakes
• Fear of causing harm to others or yourself
• Distress over morality 
• Feelings of doubt 
• Need for organization or perfection 
• Fear of losing something 

These thoughts may feel urgent, but you may also identify them as irrational.

OCD compulsions 
You may perform compulsive behaviors like: 

• Repeatedly checking things 
• Washing your hands obsessively 
• Needing persistent reassurance 
• Hoarding 
• Arranging things in a specific way 
• Repeatedly checking that you haven’t caused another harm 
• Counting 
• Repeating mantras or words
• Performing a task a specific amount of times 

Many people with OCD don’t find pleasure in performing compulsions, but feel they are necessary to avoid worsening their anxiety.

What are my OCD treatment options?

Your provider first asks you questions about your symptoms, the time they take up in your day, and whether or not they’re interfering with work or responsibilities. 

Psychotherapy for OCD
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), helps you understand, accept, and then alleviate harmful thinking. Your provider equips you with tools to manage healthy behavior patterns and improve your daily life. 

During exposure and response prevention (ERP), your provider may expose you to a situation you fear — like touching a dirty doorknob — but not allow you to clean your hands afterward. This helps you see you are not in any present danger and feel safe in similar situations. 

Medication for OCD
Antidepressant medications like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and selective SRIs (SSRIs) can alter the chemicals your brain releases, improving mood and stress levels. 

Popular drugs include Zoloft®, Paxil® , and Prozac®. It’s important to discuss the side effects of antidepressants with your provider before deciding on the right choice for you. 

If you’re looking for expert OCD treatment, contact Mind Space Wellness, LLC, online, or call the practice today.