Treatments for OCD

Medication

I am not a Medical Doctor and therefore not qualified to properly discuss medications but what I’d like to do is offer my advice and personal experience. 

I used to be completely against the use of them.  Although I was suffering far too much without them, I really didn’t want to feel altered, different or not myself, and I was pretty sure that with medications I would become a completely different person.  A shell of my former self, if you may, that’s walking around being numbed out to all around me, including myself.   One day that changed.  OCD is said to wax and wane over the years.  When my first rock bottom hit, it was too much for me to deal with so I made the decision to try medication.  Over the years I’ve tried quite a few different medications, the first being Prozac; no such luck on that.  I also tried Paxil to no avail.  It took time for both to kick in but I had found that they weren’t the ones for me. 

When I had hit my second and most devastating rock bottom, I ended up in treatment and was very much willing to try medication again.  Although they never forced it on us, it was certainly recommended so I tried Anafranil, which is the first known OCD medication and I’m happy to say it has worked for me and I’m still on it to this day.  I am now for the use of medication; I changed my tune over time as it really has helped me out in sooo many ways in my battle with OCD.  Please consider trying it if you are suffering, it may be worth it and you may end up trying more then one kind.

The use of medication is very much a personal decision between you and your therapist but please don’t be afraid to try it for fear of it changing you for the worst.   It does have its place in treatment but please know its not for everyone. 

CBT & ERP (Exposure and Response Therapy)

These 2 words are the gold standard in OCD treatment.  In fact, it is documented that using ERP alone, without the use of medication, you will find large gains in your treatment.  My first experience with ERP was with the book ‘brainlock’.  I loved that book, it literally saved me.  It was the first book I bought on OCD, and the one that changed my life.  It taught me how to look at my OCD differently and that if was to do something else constructive for even like 20 seconds that’s a huge step, with an ultimate goal of doing say at least 15 minutes (15 minute rule), and then eventually to no time limit.  Know what I’ve found? If I can make it that long, it’s never failed me to relieve my OCD fears.  This is essentially ERP; to face what we fear and hold off from doing our compulsion.  This is sooo much easier said than done, and even to hold off for 30 seconds is a hugggeee step to be proud of.  When I was in treatment, that was our main focus.  We had set times a day to do it.  What was really great, and a wonderful treat, was leaving the clinic.  We got to see sooooo many areas of Houston but the trick to our outings was that we had to engage in our own specific ERP that we were individually working on, that was not exactly fun haha.  So really they made it a large part of our treatment to get better.  So yes, we got the treat to be able to do sooo many wonderful things but having to do ERP at each outing was extremely difficult and at times it definately took away from what we were seeing.  Do remember this is not going to be easy but you can do it, baby steps are what to live by.  Doing our rituals is not easy; in fact it’s living hell and gets us nowhere but more pain.  It’s completely worth trying something new.  Try it with all your heart and soul.  Realize that it will be tough and pat yourself on the back for even the littlest gains you have made.  Its a process; a first step to a life with manageable OCD. 

In treatment, I learned how to make ERP a normal part of every day.  Even if you are feeling strong and capable, make Exposures up and do them each day.  Don’t let them slide, especially when you are feeling great.  Think of it like Diabetes.   My dad has been a Diabetic all his life and without insulin he would die.  Think of it the same way with OCD.  To live our lives to the fullest we need to involve ERP into our lives like insulin for a Diabetic.

It is really important to find the right Psychiatrist or Psychologist that is very knowledgeable in CBT and uses it in their form of therapy.