OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can lead to a life filled with intrusive thoughts and rituals that you continually feel compelled to do. At Exhale Health, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Katrina Kaczmarek, MSN, APRN, PMHNP, provides new hope for OCD. As an experienced OCD specialist, Katrina can help you gain control of your thoughts and behaviors, free up your time, and enjoy a much greater quality of life. Book your appointment online or phone the Scottsdale, Arizona, office now. 

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes obsessions and compulsions. 

Obsessions

Obsessions are nagging unwanted thoughts, images, or feelings. 

They often revolve around fear of germs, the need for order or symmetry, religious (frequently blasphemous) thoughts, fear of losing control or becoming violent, or other taboo or scary topics.

They can take over your brain, which feels incredibly frustrating. That’s what leads to compulsions.

Compulsions 

Compulsions are behaviors you feel you must carry out to stop the obsessions. For example, many people with OCD have a fear of germs, so they feel driven to wash their hands excessively. 

Other examples of compulsions include rechecking locks, rearranging objects, repeatedly checking that appliances are turned off, and rituals like counting objects, images, or something else.

Compulsions temporarily allay obsessions. Unfortunately, with OCD, they come back quickly, so you’re in a miserable cycle.  

Is OCD a kind of anxiety?

No, but symptoms of OCD and anxiety disorders can be similar sometimes, so there's a lot of confusion around that question. 

OCD was classified as an anxiety disorder until about a decade ago. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) separated OCD from anxiety disorders and gave it a category of its own. 

This happened because experts determined that OCD affects brain chemistry and functioning differently than anxiety. 

One leading theory is that disruptions in self-regulation abilities lead to OCD, whereas anxiety disorders are primarily tied to emotional processing. Research into the similarities and differences between OCD and anxiety disorders continues. 

I think I have OCD. Can treatment stop my symptoms?

The first step is a psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis. Katrina may diagnose you with OCD if you have obsessions and compulsions that take up a significant amount of time every day and disrupt daily life. 

If you receive this diagnosis, don’t worry: There are effective strategies to manage OCD. One of the leading treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which significantly reduces OCD symptoms in at least 8 in 10 people. 

Medication management is also helpful for many people with OCD, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The same drugs treat depression; however, for OCD, the amount of medication is higher. 

Katrina can customize your OCD treatment for your symptoms and guide you to a life free of intrusive obsessions and compulsions. Phone the Exhale Health office or book your consultation with Katrina online now.