How to cure obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive and disturbing thoughts, fixation on special actions, which sometimes develop into entire rituals... Sometimes all this speaks not of simple oddities, but of symptoms of mental illness. What is obsessive-compulsive disorder, what are its causes and how is it treated?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be characterized as an uncontrolled manifestation of negative obsessive thoughts and fears, which the patient tries to get rid of through the same obsessive actions (compulsions).

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessions, or intrusive thoughts

Obsessions are recurring thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety, worry, shame, or disgust. They arise uncontrollably, and patients cannot drive them away through logical arguments. A person with OCD tries to suppress such obsessions by “interrupting” them with other thoughts or actions. Typical obsessive thoughts in OCD are the fear of contamination, the need for symmetry or precision, certain immoral ideas or impulses that are alien to the personality of the patient himself. Obsessions can be triggered by any events that somehow indirectly remind of their object - for example, an extraneous cough, contact with a “non-sterile” object (handrails, door handles, etc.)

Compulsions, or obsessive actions

To combat obsessions, OCD patients perform defensive, repetitive actions (compulsions). Compulsions are similar to peculiar rituals that “prevent” the embodiment of negative thoughts and fears. Washing hands too often, wiping objects, constantly checking electrical appliances, repeating words, counting. For example, to make sure that the door is locked, a person with OCD needs to pull the door handle a specific number of times (and count the times). After such a ritual, the patient feels relief for a while, but then the obsessive thoughts return, and everything repeats again and again. In severe cases, compulsions can take up a huge amount of the patient's time, interfering with daily activities. A patient with OCD describes his condition as follows:

I've always had a terrible fear of bacteria, to the point where I washed my hands dozens of times a day, but I didn't think it had anything to do with OCD. Then it became unbearable for me to be at home in the same clothes in which I went out, I could not eat bread in the place where I grabbed it with my hands, I carefully examined all the dishes before using them. It began to take up more and more time and attention and interfered with my life.

At the same time, compulsions are often accompanied by a feeling of depression and melancholy, because a person with OCD does not lose the awareness that such actions are irrational and meaningless.

What are obsessions and compulsions?

Most often, obsessive thoughts and fears are centered around certain topics. The most common of them are cleanliness and sterility, perfectionism, loss of control, religiosity, and forbidden sexual acts. The rituals that “protect” a person with OCD from these thoughts and “prevent” fears can vary. Most often, the nature of the obsession determines a certain type of compulsion.

It has been noticed that the stronger the patient’s desire to resist obsessive thoughts, the more clearly the obsessive-compulsive neurosis manifests itself. The efforts not only do not give the desired result, they further aggravate the problem - the obsessions return in an even more pronounced form.

When such conditions occur, it is very important not to try to cope with the problem on your own - only a doctor can provide effective professional assistance.

Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder at home

If a patient is diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, treatment at home is only partially possible. It is difficult to get rid of obsessive thoughts and movements without the help of a specialist. In order to strengthen the nervous system’s ability to resist obsessive thoughts and actions, it is necessary to follow the following recommendations from doctors:

• Develop and maintain a certain daily routine (sleep at least 9-10 hours a day, go to bed no later than 10 pm);
• Take daily walks;
• Provide moderate physical activity;
• Avoid mental and physical overload, learn to switch to rest in time;
• Give up bad habits (drinking alcohol, smoking) and taking stimulating drinks (strong tea, coffee, energy drinks);
• Develop and apply relaxation skills as necessary;
• Use soothing aromatic oils and herbal infusions as needed.

To treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, herbalists recommend using medicinal plants that have a sedative effect (hawthorn, motherwort, valerian, mint, oregano). Herbal infusions should be taken in the evening and before going to bed. And in the morning you need to take infusions of herbs that have a tonic effect (schisandra, Rhodiola, Leuzea).

For obsessive neurosis, use the following recipe:

• 5 tablespoons of viburnum are ground into a paste;
• Add 700 ml of boiling water;
• Infuse for four hours, filter;
• Take half a glass 4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals.

In this case, it is necessary to provide the patient with a complete diet rich in nutrients. You can use various relaxation techniques yourself at home.

Meditation helps to relax the body, calm the mind, and let go of anxious thoughts. Turn on calm music (soft instrumental music combined with the sounds of nature is best). Close your eyes, calm your breathing, breathe steadily and evenly.

You can imagine that you are on the seashore. Observe, as if from the outside, what thoughts come into your head, what fears are present. As you exhale, let go of your fears, resentments, pain, doubts. Imagine them turning into white, fluffy clouds that fly away and disappear over the horizon. As you inhale, imagine that the sun is filling you with its warmth and light. Breathe like this until your consciousness is completely cleared of negative mental images. Gradually come out of meditation.

When treating obsessive-compulsive neurosis at home, breathing exercises are used. You can independently use conscious breathing on a count. Lie with your eyes closed and count how long you inhale and exhale. Then begin to control your breathing. Inhale for 4-5 counts, and exhale for the same number of counts. Conscious breathing allows you to get rid of obsessive thoughts and calm the nervous system. Autogenic training is taught by psychotherapists at the Yusupov Hospital.

Diagnosis of OCD

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), to make a diagnosis, it is important that obsessions and/or compulsions have been observed with noticeable frequency for at least two consecutive weeks and are accompanied by a state of distress. Symptoms must have the following characteristics:

• The patient's thoughts or impulses are his own, not caused by external factors.
• There is at least one thought or action that the patient tries unsuccessfully to resist.
• The thought of performing a compulsive action is in itself unpleasant (merely reducing tension or anxiety is not considered pleasant in this sense).
• Thoughts, images, or impulses repeat themselves in a stereotypical manner.

When diagnosing OCD, it is important to separate its symptoms from those of other diseases. Obsessions and compulsions can develop during exacerbations of schizophrenia, as well as with Tourette's syndrome. Problems similar to OCD may also be characteristic of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. But if people with OCD realize that their obsessive actions are irrational, and they themselves experience discomfort from them, for a person with a personality disorder, the obsessive desire for accuracy is perceived as a manifestation of perfectionism and brings him pleasure.

Treatment of OCD at the Mental Health Clinic

At the Mental Health clinic, under the leadership of its founder, MD, psychiatrist V.L. Minutko, the author of the book “Obsessive Disorders” (the first complete guide to this problem in 100 years), has experienced doctors who have been successfully treating obsessive-compulsive disorders for more than ten years.

In our clinic, treatment of obsessive disorders is carried out comprehensively and strictly according to an individual program . We take into account not only the clinical picture of the disease, but also the personal data of each individual patient. It is necessary to start treatment as early as possible - only in this case will it be as effective as possible.

One of the advantages of our clinic is that the diagnosis and future treatment plan is necessarily discussed with the patient. The doctor introduces the patient to the basic methods used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders, the examinations performed, as well as the clinical symptoms of the disease (we have found that obsessive-compulsive neurosis is caused by chronic infections, such as staphylococcal or streptococcal).

The clinic's medical facilities include an outpatient center in Moscow, as well as a 24-hour sanatorium-type hospital in the Moscow region with the possibility of accommodation for relatives. Depending on the indications, as well as personal preferences, patients can choose the most suitable treatment option for themselves.

Causes and mechanisms of development of obsessive neurosis

The cause of obsessive neurosis is a protracted conflict between a person’s needs and the possibilities of satisfying them. Obsessive movement neurosis can develop as a result of stress caused by quarrel, fear, aggression, anxiety. The disease occurs in people who are forced to perform an unwanted action.

In obsessive-compulsive disorder, disturbances occur in structures controlled by the serotonergic system. The pathological process is localized in the orbital gyrus of the frontal lobes and limbic structures of the brain, rich in serotonergic neurons, and the caudate nucleus. The dopamine system is also involved in the development of obsessive neurosis. The interaction of these two systems occurs at the level of the basal ganglia. They intersect serotonin pathways from the raphe nucleus of the midbrain and dopamine pathways from the substantia nigra.

At this level, serotonin neurons inhibit dopaminergic neurotransmission. With normal function of the serotonergic system, its activity is limited. If serotonin release decreases, the ability to inhibit dopaminergic neurotransmission decreases. As a result, the balance between both systems is disrupted, and dopamine activity in the basal ganglia becomes predominant.

This is how scientists explain the development of some symptoms of obsessive neurosis - motor disturbances and stereotypical behavior. Efferent serotonergic pathways from the basal ganglia go through the cingulate gyrus to the cortical structures - the frontal cortex. When it is defeated, ideational (related to ideas) obsessions develop.