OCD

QUESTION: OCD – What treatments are available?

ANSWER:

What OCD treatments are available to you today? A few different options are: medication, therapy, or a combination of therapy and medication. What is the best treatment for you? Talk through each option with your physician and make an informed decision. Some of the more common treatments are:

• ERP -- Exposure response-prevention is a form of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. ERP is used to reduce compulsive behaviors gradually. This type of treatment gives OCD sufferers a way to fight back with a skill they have mastered.
  
  
• Medication. There are several types of medication that are used, such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac. One medication may work for one individual but not for another. Your doctor and you will have to work together to find the right medication and dosage.
  
  
• Medication and behavioral therapy. Medication can sometimes aid in the speed of treatment, but most experts have agreed that either BT (behavioral therapy) or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) provide the longest lasting results with less chance of falling back into the OC behavior.

OCD patients find comfort in Psalm 6:2: “Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.” Asking God for help is a sign of courage, not of timidity. He wants to hear from us. He wants to heal us. Trust Him.