OCD is a fairly common mental health disorder, and effective treatment helps most sufferers reduce their symptoms. Yet, OCD is too often under-diagnosed and under-treated.
It is important to know what the barriers to diagnosis and treatment are so they don’t prevent you or someone you care about from getting symptom relief.
Eight Barriers To OCD Diagnosis and Treatment
- Some individuals with OCD hide their symptoms and do not ask for help. They might mistakenly believe the symptoms are their fault, be reluctant to admit having unwanted thoughts and rituals, or do not realize that OCD is treatable.
- People with OCD might feel ashamed talking about their intrusive, sometimes disturbing thoughts. They may, for instance, have recurring thoughts involving violent, sexual, or blasphemous acts. However, treatment professionals understand that the content of a person’s obsessions is not a reflection of their character.
- People with OCD may compulsively avoid places, objects, or people that trigger anxiety, such as someone with a contamination obsession refusing to enter public restrooms. This avoidance sometimes goes unrecognized as an OCD symptom.
- Not all doctors and mental health personnel are experienced at diagnosing and treating OCD, and many physicians do not ask mental health screening questions during routine physical exams.
- Though obsessions and compulsions are distressing, they can also create a sense of false security and control. This can make the thought of change - of reduced symptoms - frightening. It may help to know that during treatment, change is usually gradual, so the fear of change is manageable.
- CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and ERP (exposure response prevention) therapy are the treatments proven most effective for OCD. However, some therapists or clinics may be using methods that are ineffective for OCD symptom relief, such as psychoanalysis, therapies focusing on family dynamics, early life traumas, self-esteem issues, or using medications only.
- OCD sometimes manifests with less familiar symptoms that may go unrecognized. Unfamiliar symptoms include procrastination, asking repetitive questions, constant reassurance seeking, and difficulty - or an inability - to make decisions.
- Those without health insurance, or with limited mental health coverage can struggle to get the treatment they need. Getting insurance under the Affordable Care Act may help some individuals with this. People can also look for therapists who offer a sliding fee scale, and should check into community or township mental health resources.
Source: Beyond OCD
Photo credit: JonathanBrodsky
