What is the best treatment for OCD
What Is the Best Treatment For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? ... With help from treatment, Heidi is now leading a successful life as a lawyer in New York. Many people living with OCD rarely get diagnosed or incorrectly diagnosed with anxiety. ... Although most obsessive- compulsive disorder patients are treated for anxiety, the best treatment is a combination of antidepressant drugs and behavioral therapies. ... Therefore the amount of people suffering from OCD was underestimated. Recent surveys showed that the disorder, which is found equally in males and females, is experienced by about 2-3% of the population, meaning OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder. This amounts to as many as 6 million people in the United States suffering from OCD. Most case of OCD appears during teenage years and early adulthood. ... Studies indicate that at least one-third of cases of OCD in adults began during childhood. Symptoms of OCD include compulsions, obsessive thoughts, and ritualistic behaviors. ... Having OCD is different from a person choosing to become “obsessed” with a hobby or goal that takes up most time, energy, and thoughts. Those who suffer from OCD do not choose the obsession that triggers compulsions since most thoughts and behaviors are kept secret and unwanted. ... Freud’s theory was based upon the idea that the symptoms of OCD were established after the reduction of anxiety. Treatment based on his theory proved to have limited effectiveness, and in time behavioral principles, which focused on removal of the symptoms, became increasingly popular. The behavioral approach to treatment included exposing the diagnosed to compulsion triggering situations and thought-stopping therapy to reduce obsessive thinking.