OCD

What is OCD?

OCD is a chronic mental health disorder. It typically causes two problems, obsessions and compulsions, that interfere with daily life and demand excessive time and attention.

Obsessions

Obsessions are intrusive, recurring thoughts or images you can’t control. They’re on your mind all the time to varying degrees, causing anxiety and stress because they’re usually disturbing or frightening. 

They often involve subjects like taboo sexual acts, religious ideas, or out-of-character violent thoughts and impulses.

Compulsions

Obsessions are often so distressing that compulsions develop to reduce anxiety and drive them away. They’re usually repetitive behaviors or rituals you must complete correctly to keep the obsessions under control.

For example, an obsession with neatness and precision can lead to a compulsion to keep everything in your environment in perfect balance and alignment.

OCD can eventually take over your life. Your thoughts are continually on your obsessions, and compulsions take up much of your time.

If you can’t complete a ritual, it causes intense distress and could trigger a panic attack. You might believe that failing to carry out the ritual correctly will trigger a traumatic event like someone’s death or a natural disaster.

What can I do to ease OCD?

OCD patients often respond well to psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps you challenge mistaken beliefs and think about them logically, reducing the hold OCD has on you.

If your OCD causes severe anxiety, you might benefit from anti-anxiety medications. However, there’s no medication specifically designed to treat OCD.

Some people recover sufficiently with these treatments, but many others continue to struggle with OCD every day.

Recovery can also be a long process, as medications that help with OCD take many weeks to work. Furthermore, they won’t be effective for all patients, meaning you must start the process again with a different drug.

In some cases, OCD persists despite long-term treatment.

How does ketamine help me overcome OCD?

Research indicates ketamine is a highly effective OCD treatment. While it won’t work for every patient, you soon know if ketamine helps because of how quickly it takes effect. Patients often find their obsessions easing after a single infusion, with improvements lasting a week or more.

Ketamine is particularly effective for OCD patients also suffering from depression and those whose condition fails to respond to standard treatments.

Call Ketalink Ketamine Center to arrange an OCD evaluation or schedule a consultation online today.