OCD: Getting the Right Treatment Can be a Challenge

Over the last few years I’ve connected with a lot of people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Most of these OCD sufferers have some kind of story to tell about their early experiences reaching out for help. And they’re usually not positive ones. They are accounts of misdiagnosis, no diagnosis, or mistreatment. They are tales of being told by family they are fine, or they must be exaggerating. They are advised to just “suck it up” or at the very least relax. If they are lucky enough to receive a proper diagnosis early on, they are often either just given medication with no offer of additional therapy, or treated with the wrong kind of therapy. As many OCD sufferers will attest, asking for help, especially that very first time, is a difficult and scary thing to do. In some cases, they muster the courage to tell a loved one or a professional about their obsessions and compulsions. In other cases, it has just become too obvious to hide anymore. Either way, it can be terrifying to put yourself out there, especially when you are so frightened, confused and anxious. To finally admit you need help, and then be dealt with so poorly, can be devastating. These early negative experiences might make OCD sufferers leery of future treatment. They’d rather have no therapy at all than risk being mistreated again. What makes this all the more upsetting is the fact that studies have shown that although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective in treating many diso...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Cognitive-Behavioral Disorders Family General Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Parenting Policy and Advocacy Psychotherapy Self-Help Treatment Cbt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Therapy Compulsions Conjunction Courage Source Type: news