By Anonymous, Mon, July 18, 2011
Unsurprisingly enough, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety go hand in hand. Partially due to the fact that it is an anxiety disorder, and partially as a result of its inherent ability to cause stress, feelings of uneasiness and a general undeniably sense of despair amongst its sufferers, OCD is constantly linked to anxiety as people attempt to seek out remedies to one or both of the problems.
Right off the bat, it’s important to note that at the moment, OCD is incurable. That’s the bad news. The good news, however, is that OCD is completely and totally treatable. Not only is it treatable, in fact, but as a result of the myriad of treatment options that are available to the public, OCD sufferers are no longer pigeon-holed into selecting an option that they are not completely and totally comfortable with.
Generally speaking, people who suffer from OCD attempt to cope with unwanted obsessions and compulsions that systematically take over their whole lives. Given the uncontrollable nature of these obsessions and subsequent compulsions, unspeakable amounts of anxiety and stress are endured by people dealing with OCD on a second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day basis. Essentially, sufferers are basically dealing with an anxiety disorder that causes anxiety, and thereby, worsens the original condition and simply adds to the overall headache.
OCD is nothing out of the ordinary, mind you. Recent estimates show that anywhere from two to three -- and a few studies even note as much as five -- percent of the population struggles with the condition. Given how surprisingly common the condition is, the best remedy to the original disorder and the accompanying anxiety appears to be treating the original condition.
Several different treatment options exist for people struggling with OCD. The two most well known methods, however, are Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy (CBT) and medications with serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI). Essentially, the former option relies on the “talk therapy” preference for relieving OCD while the latter option is more medicinally-oriented.
Basically, as is the case with any disorder, the key is getting to the root of the problem and finding the right solution. By dealing with the original OCD, sufferers will land a blow against not only that OCD, but also to any and all accompanying stress, anxiety and any other mental health disorders.
