mental health disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Treatment of OCD
Exposure and ritual prevention therapy; cognitive therapy is often added Certain antidepressants Exposure and ritual (response) prevention therapy, a type of Psychotherapy , is often effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Exposure therapy involves gradually and repeatedly exposing people to whatever situations or people triggers obsessions, rituals, or discomfort while asking them not to perform the compulsive ritual (ritual prevention therapy). Discomfort or anxiety gradually diminishes during repeated exposure as people learn that rituals are unnecessary for decreasing discomfort. The improvement usually persists for years, perhaps because people who have mastered this approach are able to continue to practice it after formal treatment has ended. Cognitive therapy is often added to exposure and ritual prevention therapy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (such as Psychodynamic psychotherapy (which emphasizes the identification of unconscious patterns in current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) and psychoanalysis have generally not been effective for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. 