33+ In-Network Insurances We Accept In Delaware
Choosing the Right Provider
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), it is important for you to know that many treatment options are available.
We’ll make it easy to connect you with a therapist or psychiatric clinician who is experienced in treating patients with OCD.
Your clinician performs a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and develops a personalized treatment plan.
Your clinician maintains a proper level of care through therapy sessions while staying connected with your support system. If appropriate, your clinician can refer you to a LifeStance psychiatric clinician for evaluation and medication management.
Find a Licensed OCD Treatment Provider in About:blank, Delaware
Filter Provider Results
What Is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition marked by recurring, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges (called obsessions) that cause distress, including anxiety or a sense of discomfort or incompleteness. To reduce this distress, individuals may feel compelled to perform certain repetitive behaviors or mental acts (called compulsions), often following strict rules. OCD often involves both obsessions and compulsions, which can significantly disrupt daily life and overall functioning.
OCD usually begins in childhood or adolescence and tends to persist throughout life, leading to substantial impairment in daily activities. However, the course of the illness can vary, with some individuals experiencing periods of improvement or worsening over time.
What Causes OCD?
OCD has no single cause, but a variety of risk factors can make someone more susceptible to the disorder. OCD tends to run in families, and research suggests that there may be a genetic component, especially in cases where the disorder begins in childhood. However, the specific genes involved remain unknown, and research is ongoing.
Even without a family history of the disorder, people can develop OCD. Other contributors to OCD might include neurobiological, infectious, hormonal, and traumatic factors. For example:
-
Infectious Factors: In some children, OCD symptoms may be triggered by certain infections, such as group A streptococcal infections, which may lead to pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with these infections (PANDAS).
-
Hormonal Factors: Hormonal changes, such as those occurring during the premenstrual or postpartum periods, have been associated with the onset or worsening of OCD symptoms.
Traumatic Factors: Exposure to stressful or traumatic events can sometimes trigger the onset of OCD in susceptible individuals. While these factors may increase the risk of developing OCD, they do not guarantee that a person will develop the disorder.
What Are Some Signs and Symptoms of OCD?
OCD involves two main components: obsessions and compulsions. While many individuals with OCD experience both, it is possible to have only one.
-
Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted, and repetitive thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant distress or anxiety. These thoughts might seem irrational or strange and can involve fears of harm, contamination, or taboo topics like aggression, sexuality, or religion. People with OCD often find these obsessions disturbing and try to ignore, suppress, or neutralize them, sometimes with another thought or action that becomes a compulsion.
-
Compulsions are behaviors or mental acts that someone feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to specific, rigid rules. These actions are typically irrational or excessive, such as repetitive washing, checking, counting, or praying. Compulsions are performed to reduce the distress triggered by obsessions or to prevent a feared event or situation, even if the connection is unrealistic or superstitious.
OCD Treatment Options
Effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often involves therapy and, when necessary, medications. The primary approaches to treating OCD include:
Medications, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, are also commonly used to treat OCD. Medication may be the primary treatment for individuals with severe symptoms, those unable to participate in CBT/ERP, or those who have not responded to CBT alone. For many, medication helps reduce the intensity of symptoms enough to enable them to participate in CBT/ERP more effectively. The use of medication can vary depending on the severity of the disorder, patient preference, and the presence of other mental health conditions.
Treatment plans are tailored to the individual’s specific needs, considering factors such as symptom severity, treatment history, comorbid conditions, and personal preferences. Working closely with healthcare providers can help determine the most suitable approach to managing OCD effectively.
Online Treatment Options for OCD
When appropriate, online appointments can serve as an additional way for psychiatrists and therapists to provide mental health services to those suffering with OCD who cannot come into their offices for in-person appointments.
OCD Treatment FAQs
OCD is a lifelong disorder, but there are a number of treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, that can help manage symptoms and improve daily functioning.
Perfectionism is not a formal symptom of OCD, but people with perfectionistic tendencies are more likely to have OCD. Perfectionism can also be a symptom of an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
