Obsessive, Compulsive and Very, Very Common
Around17% of Australians have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) falls into that category.
According to HealthDirect, the symptoms of OCD include unwanted, distressing thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours that reduce your anxiety around those obsessions (compulsions).
These vary from person to person, but if they are unreasonable and take up an excessive amount of time, cause you distress, and disrupt your relationships and daily life, there's a chance you have OCD or another anxiety disorder.
There are varying approaches to managing OCD over the short and long-term and the right treatment for you will depend on the severity of your condition. Working with a specialist OCD Psychologist will help you find the right methodology.
While some OCD patients prefer counselling for OCD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) are two of the most commonly used OCD therapies.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CoBT is a treatment course to help patients deal with problematic emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. When it's used to treat OCD, it is more specifically focused on preventing the rituals patients fall back on by addressing the triggers that lead to the rituals. The idea is it severs the bond between the obsession that creates anxiety and the ritual that follows. In time, patients learn not to ritualise even when anxious.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Originally created as a treatment course for borderline personality disorder, DBT is broadening its horizons. The focus is on encouraging or teaching patients to accept themselves while learning how to manage or change their unhealthy OCD behaviours.
DBT incorporates many of the same strategies used in CBT but combines those with mindfulness exercises. It's viewed as a more hopeful method and is rooted in understanding the obsession, the compulsion, and what they stem from.
Alternatively, you can see a psychologist for anxiety. A psychologist can help you address the root causes of your anxiety issues on top of learning how to deal with triggers and manage symptoms when they do surface.
The right treatment course for you will entirely depend on whether you've had treatment for the same condition in the past and the severity of your condition. An OCD psychologist may want to take a multi-pronged approach to see what treatments you respond to best. Either way, they will always work with you to ensure you are on board,
The next step is to find a therapist in Melbourne who can provide you with the treatment you need to manage your anxiety disorder moving forward. Consider clinics that have a range of therapists and psychologists Melbourne OCD sufferers can access under the one roof to offer the best support.
