Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) has been in existence for many years. Debilitating it’s sufferers from partaking in activities they may enjoy because of both the sufferers obsessions and compulsions causing them to feel somewhat outcast from their fellow members of society. In this essay symptoms of OCD will be outlined; also the most empirically researched method of treatment Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), along with the process involved in treating a patient with this kind of therapy. The mistakes made by practitioners in the implementation of this treatment will be addressed. Also, pharmacotherapy will be briefly analysed as a means of improving efficacy. It will be concluded that Exposure Response Prevention treatment in adults is proven to be the more effective method of treatment according to empirical research despite some of the minor pitfalls. For a person to be diagnosed with OCD, they need to have both an obsession and a compulsion. An obsession is best defined as recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges or images that are experienced during the disturbance as intrusive and unwanted. While compulsions are defined by: repetitive behaviours such as hand washing, ordering, checking in which the person feels they feel strongly compelled to perform in response to their obsession The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The most empirically sound method of treatment is called Exposure response prevention (Himle & Franklin, 2009). This will be the psychological method of treatment discussed. Victor Meyer was the first to be credited with performing a study pertaining to the effects of ERP on OCD. He persuaded hospitalized patients to fa... ... middle of paper ... ...ary form of pharmacotheraphy should definitely be considered. In summary, according to empirical evidence Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment is to be the most effective form of psychological treatment. If the practitioner correctly undertakes the correct steps in implementing this treatment to the patient; the severity will read lower on the golden standard of OCD treatments- the Y-Bocs scale, which according to empirical evidence, to be t the most accurate form of measuring the severity of the disorder in the hopes of neutralizing the symptoms of this socially debilitating condition. It is therefore recommended for optimal treatment efficacy, that any sufferer partake in ERP treatment or consider pharmacotherapy with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors to assist in the neutralization of this socially debilitating disorder.

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