Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often begins during adolescence, with symptoms commonly appearing by the late teen years. At Healing Hope Suboxone, Addiction Recovery & Psychiatry, Tammi Bancroft, FNP-C, provides compassionate, personalized care to help adults effectively manage OCD and improve their quality of life. Tammi offers in-person and virtual care from the practice's main location in Colorado and also provides virtual appointments for patients throughout Arizona. To learn more about your treatment options for OCD, call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

OCD is a mental health condition that causes thoughts you can’t control (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions). Your obsessive thoughts are unpleasant and give you intense anxiety.

The anxiety gives rise to an urgent need to take action. Performing a specific behavior temporarily eases the anxiety. However, the thoughts return, and you keep acting out your compulsions.

OCD becomes an all-consuming and progressive cycle. By definition, the obsessions and compulsions of OCD consume more than an hour each day and cause significant distress. In severe cases, you may spend so much time focusing on obsessions and compulsions that you can’t go to work or school.

Though most people have both obsessions and compulsions, you can have one without the other.

What thoughts occur due to obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Your uncontrollable thoughts often follow a theme. A few of the most common themes include:

• Fear of germs
• Fear of being harmed
• Need for items to be in order
• Need for symmetry
• Aggressive or violent thoughts
• Fear of saying something offensive

Most people with OCD know their thoughts don’t make sense, but they can’t make the obsessions stop.

What behaviors occur due to obsessive-compulsive disorder?

The behaviors you perform follow the themes of your obsessions. If your thoughts focus on a fear of germs, you may constantly wash your hands, take frequent showers, or repeatedly do laundry. A fear of being harmed may compel you to keep checking to see if the door is locked.

When your obsession demands order or symmetry, you rearrange items on a shelf or keep adjusting the position of furniture. You keep repeating these behaviors even though you know you just did the same thing a few minutes earlier.

How is obsessive-compulsive disorder treated?

During your first virtual appointment, Tammi learns about your symptoms and completes a psychological evaluation. Then she develops an individual treatment plan that may include therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. One group of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), often helps reduce OCD symptoms.

During therapy, Tammi may teach you relaxation techniques or use an approach such as cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure and response prevention. These therapies help you learn to control your thoughts and resist following through on compulsions.

You can overcome OCD with compassionate care from Healing Hope Suboxone, Addiction Recovery & Psychiatry. To schedule a telemedicine consultation, call the office or request an appointment online today.