Reclaiming Your Life: The Importance of OCD Treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be incredibly difficult to manage on your own without professional intervention. Some people feel that OCD can overrun their life. The constant worries and obsessions can cause you to have compulsions that take up your time and energy. OCD can cause issues with work, social relationships, and general quality of life. If it feels like OCD is controlling your life, it is important to seek treatment. West Coast Recovery Centers offers OCD treatment for our clients that will work within their comfort level and their timing.

While not everyone with an anxiety disorder like OCD struggles in their life, treatment helps to give you the skills to manage your symptoms and stay healthy. It is possible to work with a provider to gain control over your obsessions and work to maintain control in your life. Some ways that OCD can be treated include therapy and medication management. Treatment for OCD can be overwhelming, but it is possible to work alongside your provider to reclaim your life.

What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

OCD is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as “a disorder marked by uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive and excessive behaviors (compulsions), or both.” As an anxiety disorder, those with OCD engage in compulsive behaviors to alleviate their obsessions. This spiral can be overwhelming for people. While OCD is a chronic disorder, it can be managed with interventions and care. 

Anxiety disorders come from constant or life-interrupting feelings of fear and worry. These disorders can be managed with medication and therapy. While anxiety is a part of life, it can be managed through learned skills and healthier lifestyle changes.

How Does OCD Affect Your Life?

People with OCD can live fulfilling and enjoyable lives. Having OCD does not necessarily mean that you will struggle but it can make things more difficult to work through on your own. OCD can cause many different issues in your day-to-day life. Sometimes OCD can feel like it controls your life or stops you from doing the things that you want to do. Spending a lot of time focusing on your obsessions or compulsions means that you will have less energy to focus on the things that give you joy. 

Compulsions may also cause issues in your life. When obsessions fuel compulsions to work through the anxiety, you can put yourself into dangerous situations. Sometimes people with OCD may struggle with unhealthy coping mechanisms such as self-harm or self-destructive compulsions. These things can be dangerous if left untreated. Both compulsions and obsessive thoughts can be difficult to manage on your own. 

Obsessions, like all anxiety, can lower your quality of life. Your OCD may cause issues in your self-worth, work or school performance, and relationships. People around you may not be sure how to best assist you with your OCD. It may be overwhelming for then and yourself to handle compulsions that may come from your disorder. This is why it is important to find a provider to give you the skills that you need to manage your mental health. 

Getting OCD Treatment

OCD is treated with a combination of medicine, therapy, or a combination of treatments. One of these treatments is called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This therapy helps you to work with your thoughts and learn to manage them as they come up. DBT works with you to accept the reality that you live in and gives you skills to manage your symptoms. The most effective way to do this is by giving you coping skills to work through the OCD symptoms. Therapy can also be combined with medication management to reduce the intensity of presenting symptoms. Providers may prescribe things like anti-depressants and anxiety medication. 

Another effective treatment for OCD is exposure therapy. In this treatment, a therapist works alongside their client to expose them to their triggers and obsessions. They work on sitting with the discomfort without turning to compulsions. Over time, slow exposure to your triggers will help you manage your OCD. As you learn to manage the discomfort of engaging with your triggers in a safe environment with your therapist, you can manage them in your day-to-day life. OCD treatment can be overwhelming, but greatly increases your quality of life. 

West Coast Recovery Centers offers mental health treatment that can cater to all of our client's needs. If you are struggling with OCD, our therapists and providers can work to create a customized treatment plan that works at your pace. This allows us to find the right rhythm for your treatment to make it manageable. Finding the right combination of medication management, therapy like DBT, and healthy outlets will give you control back over your OCD.

OCD can be overwhelming to handle on your own. Obsessions can take up your time and stop you from doing what you want to do. OCD can affect many areas of your life, from relationships and self-worth to job and school performance. It is important to get treatment to reclaim your life and gain control over your OCD. Treatment for OCD may seem hard, but working through that apprehension will allow you to live the life that you deserve. Whether you get medication management or therapeutic intervention, treatment can help to teach you to cope with its symptoms. To learn more about the types of treatment for OCD, call West Coast Recovery Centers today at (760) 492-6509.