OCD

Around half of the people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) don’t respond to medication. At Rise TMS, esteemed board-certified psychiatrist Priya Parmar, MD, and her team respect their patients and understand their struggles. They offer alternative approaches, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and ketamine infusions in the comfortable and nurturing therapeutic environment of their Westlake Village, California, office. Book your appointment online today or call the office for a consultation.

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder that causes obsessions — thoughts that won’t go away unless acted upon — and compulsions — ritualized behaviors that satisfy obsessions.

What are the signs of OCD?

OCD is often misunderstood today. Many people casually say that they have OCD if they have a strong preference for neatness and cleanliness. Genuine OCD is different, causing obsessions and compulsions like:

Obsessions

With OCD, obsessions cause severe distress if not acted on. Examples of obsessions include fear of dirt or germs, uninvited thoughts, and fear of losing control. Other obsessions include a nagging feeling that you didn’t lock the door or turn off the stove and difficulty functioning when items aren’t in a particular order.

Compulsions

Compulsions can disrupt your life, often requiring many minutes or hours each day. You might wash your hands repeatedly, rearrange cans in the pantry, check the stove several times to make sure it’s off, count objects, repeat the same prayer over and over, or some other repetitive action.

While you carry out the compulsions to “turn off” the obsessions, it’s not a long-lasting solution. The same or another obsession usually returns quickly. OCD is a vicious cycle that can deeply affect your quality of life.

How is OCD treated?

The primary treatment for OCD involves psychotherapy and medication. Unfortunately, these drugs are ineffective for many people with OCD.

Psychotherapy can be highly beneficial, but you can’t get good results until you can calm your symptoms enough to focus on working with your therapist. When medication fails, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could be the answer.

TMS is an FDA-approved treatment for OCD in which painless magnetic pulses painlessly stimulate the parts of your brain involved in obsessions and compulsions. This helps you reset those harmful thought patterns and stop the negative behaviors.

Ketamine could be an option for people who experience depression alongside OCD. It produces a rapid antidepressant effect and can dramatically improve the quality of life of depression patients.

TMS and ketamine both work with psychotherapy to help you establish healthier thoughts and behaviors with long-lasting success. Call the Rise TMS office today or click on the provided online scheduler to learn more about how TMS for OCD works.

*Infusion ketamine is not yet FDA-approved for depression or OCD treatment. Results may vary.