| One of the major chemicals that have shown some | | | | first try pharmaceutical approach before anything else. |
| involvement with OCD is a neurotransmitter called | | | | Some of the medicines that have been linked to the |
| Serotonin. This disorder has been shown to have | | | | treatment of this disorder can include SSRI's such as |
| abnormal levels and activity of some neurochemicals, | | | | venlafaxetine, fluoxetine, sertrakine, paroxetine, and |
| including serotonin in the brain. PET scans have shown | | | | fluvoxamine. These medicines can decrease the |
| unusually high levels of activity in the brain's frontal | | | | likelihood that the person will reproduce OCD like |
| area in some patients. This high level of activity could | | | | symptoms. One of the most widely used psychiatric |
| be best explained by low levels of serotonin activity. | | | | medications used today is clomipramine, it is a tricyclic |
| The backing for this type of claim comes from studies | | | | antidepressant that also has noradrenaline and |
| that have shown that treatment with drugs; which | | | | serotonin reuptake inhibitor actions. It was the first |
| raises the level of serotonin activity in the brain, has | | | | medication that was proven to be effective in the |
| improved sufferers of this disorder by up to 60%. It | | | | treatment of OCD, it was introduced in the 1970's and |
| also could be true that the high brain activity could be | | | | is still considered to be one of the top medications |
| caused be the disorder itself and not one of the | | | | prescribed for the treatment of OCD today. |
| causes of it, because a person with is disorder has a | | | | Along with medication there are behavioral |
| high level of anxiety and that also can cause a high | | | | approaches to the treatment of OCD. Some people |
| level of brain activity. What is for certain is that OCD | | | | may have to use a combination of medicine and |
| has psychological factors that contribute to it as well | | | | behavioral therapy to be able to fully treat their OCD |
| as biological factors; this is one prime example of | | | | symptoms. There are a few different approaches to |
| nature vs. nurture. | | | | the behavioral therapy; the first is called "flooding". In |
| Treatment of this disorder can be a long and | | | | this approach the patient is exposed to the stimulus |
| sometime embarrassing process, because people with | | | | that seems to bring the anxiety and compulsive |
| this disorder are often ashamed of it especially when | | | | behaviors. This approach is a very intense approach to |
| the rituals or ideas that they have involve harming | | | | dealing with the symptoms. This kind of intense |
| others or sexuality. Also they may delay help because | | | | treatment is known to speed up the persons |
| of the fact that they may become distressed when | | | | improvement in dealing with their compulsions. The only |
| talking about it or remembering certain obsessions. | | | | downside to this treatment is that the patient has to be |
| These people can see many doctors and spent years | | | | ready to deal with the effects of the treatment, if this |
| of their life seeking treatment before a correct | | | | is possible. This treatment can be a very effective |
| diagnosis is made. In the area if treatments there are | | | | approach. Another behavioral therapy approach that |
| two completely different approaches, the first is a | | | | can be an effective treatment is the in-depth analysis |
| pharmaceutical approach and the second is a | | | | between a patient and his doctor. In this approach the |
| behavioral therapy approach. Of course the treatment | | | | doctor and patient try to identify the specific "triggers" |
| that someone seeks depends on the availability of | | | | that bring on OCD symptoms, that way they may be |
| such treatments. Most patients with this disorder will | | | | avoided in the future. |