Magwise

Diseases treated at the magwise clinic

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the occurrence of recurrent, persistent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or compulsive actions - i.e., compulsions.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, or how to recognize OCD?

OCD symptoms are usually perceived as unproductive. Sick people try to resist them, but when they try to abandon the forced act, intense fear appears in the case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over time, the patient develops an avoidance mechanism, the so-called undoing rituals, often taking the form of stereotypical, completely senseless activities. In severe forms of OCD, compulsions occupy even more than 80% of the time, leading to a significant impairment of functioning and even disability. About half of patients suffer from depression as a result. Below are some common symptoms of OCD:

Obsessive symptoms:

  1. Obsessions with cleanliness and hygiene, such as worries about germs, dirt, and infections.
  2. Obsessions with symmetry and order lead to the need to arrange and order things.
  3. Obsessions are related to fears of harming yourself or others, such as fear of falling out of a window or putting others at risk.
  4. Obsessions with counting, repeating, or measuring that are done routinely.
  5. Obsessions about religion, morality, sexuality, or other controversial topics.

Compulsive symptoms:

  1. Compulsive washing and disinfecting often repeated and in excess
  2. Compulsively checking, e.g., if the door is closed, if the fire is out
  3. Compulsive counting or performing counting rituals
  4. Compulsive repetition of activities, such as going in and out of a room several times
  5. Compulsive arranging and arranging objects according to specific patterns

What causes obsessive-compulsive disorder?

The most probable causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder and the entire spectrum of OCD are genetic factors and structural and functional changes in the area of cortico-subcortical neuronal connections. According to one theory, the symptoms of OCD arise as a result of the activation of an additional neural pathway from the cerebral cortex through the striatum and basal ganglia to the hypothalamic nuclei.

Several different methods and directions are used in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder; they are:

  • Behavioral-cognitive psychotherapy (CBT), especially the so-called exposure therapy with reaction containment training,
  • Psychopharmacotherapy - primarily antidepressants are used in maximum doses, sometimes with the addition of other psychotropic drugs, the so-called neuroleptics
  • Brain neurostimulation - transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), approved in 2018. by the American FDA for the treatment of OCD, the effectiveness of which is supported by considerable evidence and scientific reports.
  • Surgical treatment (neurosurgery) - implantation of a DBS electrode for deep brain stimulation or ablative methods (currently very rarely used).

OCD treatment available at Magwise

  • CBT psychotherapy
  • Pharmacological treatment under the supervision of a specialist psychiatrist
  • TMS Neurostimulation (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

OCD spectrum

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms also occur in several other disorders, which, due to the probable common etiology, neurobiology, and epidemiology, we call the OCD spectrum. The spectrum of OCD includes, among others:

  • Dysmorphic syndrome
  • Hypochondriac syndrome
  • Eating disorders
  • Trichotillomania
  • Propensity to gamble
  • Compulsive shopping
  • Kleptomania
  • Pyromania
  • Neurological diseases such as Tourette's syndrome

Specjaliści zajmujący się leczeniem nerwicy natręctw