Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms and Treatments

If you are overwhelmed by unwanted thoughts or have an uncontrollable need to repeat certain behaviors, you may have a chronic condition known as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Many people feel embarrassed or ashamed about obsessive or compulsive behaviors and never seek treatment. However, with proper diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, you can live a high-quality of life with this condition.

Our board-certified primary care providers can refer you for services at Beaufort Memorial Sea Island Psychiatry. Find a provider accepting new patients.

What Causes OCD?

There is no known cause of OCD. However, risk factors include abnormalities in brain structure and a history of childhood trauma. OCD may also be genetic. If you have a first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, with OCD, you are more likely to have the condition.

Is OCD an Anxiety Disorder?

OCD is a type of anxiety disorder. Other major types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder.

OCD Symptoms

Symptoms of OCD can be divided into two categories — obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions include ongoing mental images, thoughts or impulses that make you feel anxious. Compulsions are recurring behaviors you may repeat when you have an obsessive thought. If you have OCD, you may experience one or both types of symptoms.

Common Obsessions:

• Being afraid of possible contamination or germs
• Having disturbing thoughts about harm, religion or sex
• Needing to maintain perfect, symmetrical order in your environment
• Thinking aggressively about others or yourself

Common Compulsions:

• Arranging and organizing in a way that is unnecessary
• Cleaning or washing hands in an excessive manner
• Counting compulsively
• Unnecessarily checking to make sure you have done things, such as locking your door or turning off the oven

Hallmarks of OCD-related compulsions include spending at least one hour each day indulging in these behaviors and thoughts, feeling brief satisfaction when engaging in a behavior or ritual, and not being able to engage in life normally because of compulsions.

OCD Treatments

The mental health professionals at Beaufort Memorial Sea Island Psychiatry understand that seeking treatment for OCD can be difficult. We work with each patient individually to understand their condition and find effective treatments.

Because many mental health conditions occur alongside physical health conditions, including heart disease or obesity, each treatment plan begins with a thorough medical evaluation to determine whether any underlying conditions could be affecting your mental health.

Medications are generally our psychiatrists’ primary treatment for OCD. Whether you have tried unsuccessfully to manage your condition with medications in the past or are seeking treatment for the first time, our providers help you find the right medication or mix of medications for OCD that will allow you to function in your daily life.

You may also benefit from cognitive behavior therapy, another effective treatment for OCD. The technique combines exposure and response therapy, in which you are gradually exposed to things that prompt your obsessions and compulsions, with cognitive therapy, which helps you learn how to identify and change thought patterns that lead to your behaviors.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive procedure that relies on the electric current created by magnets to control mood, can also benefit people with OCD. It can target specific areas of the brain to help reduce OCD symptoms and may be used in combination with medications and therapy.