Treating Ocd

Research Papers on treating OCD can be written by psychology researchers that specialize in disorders of the brain. OCD is a complex disorder and our writers can explicate it for you, especially in regards to treatment.

Treating OCD research papers show that optimal treatment plans for any psychiatric disorder must be developed only in consideration of the particular patient that is involved. In other words, even though a certain type of treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder may be the optimal course for a disorder, the characteristics of the patient may indicate a different type of treatment program. In some cases, this is problematic because the appropriate treatment plans available may be extremely limited. Thus, if a particular treatment program does not work or is contraindicated because of some condition of the patient, then there may be no treatment available. For example, if the only available treatment is medication and the patient is unable to take the medication because of a medical or physical condition, then the prognosis will be poor. Other treatment plan might be attempted, however, they may have limited success in alleviating the patient's symptoms. Fortunately, for individuals who suffer from OCD, there is more than one treatment option. The treatment for OCD falls into two categories. The first is various psychotherapies, the second involves medication, and the third consists of surgery.

While some psychotherapies attempt to deal with the individuals' anxiety levels, the most affect treatment process in this category is a cognitive approach, known as exposure and response prevention. The reason that this is considered a cognitive treatment is because the primary goal of treatment is to change the patient's beliefs. According to the definition of OCD as presented in the DSM-IV, the sufferer of OCD has certain beliefs are obsessions and he or she believes that certain activities will reduce stress or tension associated with those obsessions. Consequently, if these beliefs can be changed, then the patient will no longer feel the need to perform the activities that reduce the tension. The purpose of exposure and response prevention is to reduce the need for performing those activities.

According to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) (APA, 2003), an obsession is characterized by four features. These consist of the following features:

1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress
2. The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems
3. The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action
4. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)