Determining whether you may need treatment for an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a personal decision that should be made with your medical or psychological provider. Every person is different, and his or her needs are very different as well. Of course, the first step to ascertain whether you need treatment and what course of action that treatment plan may include is to determine whether you have OCD at all.

A diagnosis must come from a medical provider or a licensed psychologist; however, there are some resources that can help you understand the parameters of this particular disorder. The American Psychiatric Association publishes a manual that lists psychiatric disorders and their components or elements so that practitioners around the country can follow the same decision-making process. These criteria are what make the determination and diagnosis of OCD possible.

General and Specific Criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

It may seem obvious, but the first criterion is that the individual must have some sort of obsessive thought process or compulsive behavior. In addition to the presence of this symptom, the individual must know and understand that it is not a reasonable thought process or behavior. This is why the obsessive use of drugs or alcohol, while a diagnostic requirement, is not the same as the obsession for a diagnosis of OCD. A person suffering from addiction does not see their behavior as obsessive but necessary. Finally, the obsession and compulsive behavior must interfere with one’s daily life. An example of a ritual that would not indicate a problem might be tossing spilled salt over one’s shoulder for good luck; this particular activity, even if performed ritually throughout one’s life, does not get in the way of living a normal existence.

In addition to meeting these general criteria, each element has its own set of diagnostic requirements. For instance, the obsessions must involve recurring thoughts that intrude on your normal critical thinking and are of a disturbing nature. They must not simply be excessive, reasonable worries. For instance, if you’re behind on your mortgage and you can’t stop thinking about the tragic ramifications that a foreclosure would bring, the thoughts may not be obsessive in nature, even if they are excessive depending upon your real circumstances. However, if you’ve make on-time payments to your mortgage company every month for years, yet you’re terrified every month that an unpredictable force will prevent your latest payment from arriving causing immediate foreclosure, you may be suffering from a compulsive through process. If you recognize that this thought process makes no sense – that the bank is not going to foreclose for a single late payment, for instance – and you do your best to ignore or disengage the thoughts but can’t, you may meet the criteria for obsessions as they relate to OCD.

Compulsions, in order to be considered problematic in terms of OCD diagnosis, must be repetitive, first and foremost. A few common compulsive behaviors might include:

• Fear/obsession regarding germs that results in repetitive hand-washing
• Fear/obsession concerning strangers in one’s home that results in consistently checking window and door locks
• Excessive time spent grooming for personal appearance due to social phobia
• Counting
• Touching objects in a specific order, such as the light switch and doorknob a certain number of times before opening a door or turning the light on or off
• Hoarding belongings or animals

Getting Treatment for OCD

There are two types of treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The first involves psychotherapy and the other is the use of prescription medication. Both have proven effective according to the Mayo Clinic. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a technique that addresses how an individual thinks and how they react or behave as a result of those thoughts. This is one aspect of psychological care for the treatment of OCD that has proven to be effective, not only for OCD, but for many mental illnesses, including addiction treatment. Medications might include antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft, which have been approved for the treatment of OCD by the Food and Drug Administration. Working with your medical provider to determine whether you need both treatment approaches is very important.

Some individuals, because they are either intimidated by the stigma that some attach to mental disorders, or simply because they do not recognize they may suffer from a diagnosable and treatable condition, will turn to drugs or alcohol to alleviate some of the anguish they experience every day. If you have found yourself in such a position, it is never too early or too late to find help. We here at Axis can provide you with a comprehensive and personalized treatment program that can address all your needs. Contact us today to find out what you can do to make a real difference in your life and lives of your family members.