Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder.
This mental health condition has a particular characteristic. A person with OCD has obsessions and compulsions, which can result in intense feelings of distress, anxiety, and fear. OCD patients will perform rituals to relieve these unpleasant feelings and reduce stress.
While it’s natural to obsess about things at times or act compulsively to some degree, the obsessions and compulsions of OCD are different.
Symptoms
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder usually includes both: obsessions and compulsions. But it’s also possible to have an only obsession or compulsion symptoms. They take up a lot of time and interfere with daily routine and social, school, or work functioning.
Obsession symptoms
OCD obsessions are persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. You might try to ignore or eliminate them by performing a compulsive behavior or ritual. However, these obsessions typically intrude when trying to think of or do other things.
Compulsion symptoms
OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors or mental acts reduce anxiety related to your obsessions or prevent something wrong from happening. However, engaging in the compulsions brings no pleasure and may only temporarily relieve stress.
Avoidance
Another common obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom is avoidance. If certain situations, objects, or experiences cause you significant distress, you may avoid them. As an OCD sufferer, confronting problems related to your OCD can make your obsessions and compulsions even worse.
Emotional Symptoms of OCD
People who suffer from OCD often experience various emotional symptoms or related disorders, including excessive worry, extreme tension, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, and depression.
Physical Symptoms of OCD
Some individuals with OCD experience physical symptoms. For example, you might wash your hands so often out of fear of contamination that you cause them to bleed.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Treatment benefits.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a treatment for mental health disorders that works by recalibrating neuronal pathways in the brain. For over ten years, TMS has been FDA approved as a highly effective treatment for major depression. In 2018 the FDA approved TMS to treat OCD as well.
TMS is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation that relies on electromagnetic induction using an insulated coil placed over the scalp, focused on an area of the brain thought to play a role in mood regulation. The coil generates brief magnetic pulses, which pass quickly and painlessly through the skull and into the brain. The pulses generated are the same type and strength as those caused by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Benefits of TMS Therapy
Safety/Best Side-Effect Profile: TMS is a non-invasive, targeted treatment. In addition, unlike other treatments, there are no reported long-term side effects after having done TMS.
Theta Burst Stimulation: Technological advancements have allowed newer TMS machines to pulse the magnet at different frequencies that the brain can more readily adapt.
Insurance Coverage: While the criteria for insurance coverage may be strict depending on the insurer, TMS can sometimes be 100% covered by insurance.
Neurocare Centers of America provides alternative medication-free treatment paths for people with depression, ADHD, OCD, and sleep disorders, using innovative technologies that deliver lasting change for a healthier brain and a better quality of life.
At Neurocare Centers of America, we specialize in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy for depression and Neurofeedback for treating ADHD, OCD, and sleep disorders like insomnia. These advanced technologies are safe, highly effective, non-invasive, and 100% medication-free.
Neurocare clinics combine traditional psychotherapy with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), improving network connectivity in the brain.