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The official word is that, no, there is no cure – but don't despair.
There are some very effective ways of treating OCD and managing its symptoms, but an OCD cure still eludes us.
What is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by compulsive behaviors and/or obsessive thoughts. These obsessions are recurrent, unwanted thoughts that sufferers cannot suppress, and which interfere with their normal lives.
The most common obsessions include:
- Need for exactness or symmetry
- Fear of germs
- Excessive doubt
- Fear of harming someone
- Fear of making mistakes
- Fear of acting in a socially unacceptable way
Compulsions are ritualized and repetitive behaviors that a person feels compelled to go through in order to alleviate the anxiety that comes with the obsession. Such rituals may occupy many hours every day.
- Counting
- Repeating
- Organizing/Arranging
- Touching or tapping
- Hoarding
- Cleaning
- Checking
Approximately 80% of OCD suffers have both compulsions and obsessions with the other 20% having just one or the other.
There are many people with OCD. Around one in fifty Americans suffer with OCD ñ that is over 4 million people in the US alone.
The condition does not discriminate, affecting men, women and children of all races and religions. It first manifests itself in early adulthood, adolescence or childhood.
Are its causes known? A single, proven cause for OCD and not yet been found, however some research shows that it may have to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One of these chemicals, serotonin, is known to help in stopping people from continually repeating the same behaviors. A person who has OCD may not have enough serotonin and may function better when they take medicines that increase the amount of serotonin in their brain – but this is not an OCD cure.
OCD Treatment
In the past standard treatment has been with behavioral therapy, drug treatment, or a combination of the two.
However new research is showing behavioral therapy to be the most effective, and the best to try initially. With behavioral therapy, patients are taught to reduce anxiety without performing the rituals, and to confront their fears. Called "exposure and ritual prevention", it is effective in 80% of cases.
There are two different categories of medications that are used to treat OCD, and those taking medication show a 30% reduction in symptoms.
Consultation with a health professional is vital if the OCD is to be managed successfully, and with the many research institutes exploring the condition, an OCD cure may be one day be found.
