OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
DISORDERS
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDERS SERVICES OFFERED IN NORCO, CA
Approximately 1.2% of United States adults have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and about half of them suffer serious impairment from their condition. Stella Tih, PMHNP, and the team at Mercy Seat Mental Health Treatment Center provide OCD treatment via telemedicine and in-person appointments at their office in Norco, California. To learn how you can improve your quality of life by managing OCD symptoms, call the office, or request an appointment online today.
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDERS Q&A
What is an obsessive compulsive disorder?
OCD is a long-lasting mental health condition that involves a pattern of intrusive, unreasonable thoughts, and fears (obsessions), and/or behaviors (compulsions) that you feel an intense urge to perform repeatedly.
These obsessions and compulsions take up a great deal of time, cause significant distress, and interfere with your daily routine. You may be aware that your thoughts and behaviors don’t make sense but still feel unable to stop them. Trying to ignore your obsessions may only increase your distress.
What are the symptoms of OCD?
OCD symptoms vary from person to person. You may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Obsessions
Obsessions are irrational thoughts, fears, or mental images that occur repeatedly and cause anxiety. Common examples of obsessions include fear of germs or dirt and horrific thoughts about harming yourself or others.
Compulsions
You may feel compelled to perform a compulsive ritual to ease the distress of obsessive thoughts. However, compulsions typically offer only temporary relief from distress or none at all. For example, an obsessive fear of germs may lead you to wash your hands compulsively until the skin is raw.
Who is at risk for obsessive compulsive disorder?
Children, adolescents, and adults all over the world can get OCD. Most people with OCD show symptoms that lead to a diagnosis by age 19, but adult onset does happen.
Factors that may increase your risk for OCD include:
- Having a parent, sibling, or child with OCD
- Experiencing a stressful or traumatic life event
- Having another mental health condition including anxiety, depression, and addiction
There’s no proven way to prevent OCD, but getting early treatment from the team at Mercy Seat Mental Health Treatment Center may stop the condition from worsening.
How is obsessive compulsive disorder treated?
First, your provider performs a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to confirm a diagnosis of OCD. Then, they create a personalized treatment plan for your specific needs. Common OCD treatments include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Exposure and response prevention therapy
- Medication management
To make your treatment as easy as possible, Mercy Seat Mental Health Treatment Center offers services via a secure telemedicine platform to communicate with you in the comfort of your own home. Your provider may also work with you in person at the office as needed.
For expert OCD treatment in Norco, call Mercy Seat Mental Health Treatment Center, or request an appointment online today.