Is Medication the Only Option for OCD?

An estimated 2-3% of American adults are affected by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Roughly half of known patients have symptoms that are severe and can disrupt their lives significantly if left untreated. 

As a board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Ifeanyi Olele of Genesis Psychiatric Solutions creates customized treatment plans for patients with OCD. While medication is one possibility, there are other options, like talk therapy, that can help you overcome your obsessions and compulsive behaviors.

OCD symptoms

External symptoms of OCD can appear very obvious, while internal symptoms may be easily masked by patients. 

External symptoms are the ones most commonly associated with OCD in the media and can contribute to harmful stereotyping. These symptoms include:

• Excessive hand-washing and cleaning due to germaphobia
• Constant talking, often a recital of facts or counting of numbers
• Actions repeated multiple times every day, such as locking and unlocking a door  

Internal symptoms of OCD that may often be masked but that may also emerge in extreme form in severe cases include:

• Deep-seated anxiety with no clear cause
• Difficulty with waiting, uncertainty, or changes in routine
• Constant organizing, straightening, matching, and making patterns in objects or actions
• Violent or aggressive thoughts 
• Fantasies of harming oneself or others
• Daydreaming about loss of control or destruction
• Unwanted religious thoughts or mental imagery 
• Unprompted and undesired sexual thoughts or actions 

Some people have only a few symptoms. Some people have many. Some individuals have only external or internal symptoms, while others have a mix of both.

OCD treatment

OCD is a managed condition rather than a curable one. Dr. Olele meets with you and then creates a specialized OCD treatment plan. This can include multiple factors.

Is medication the only way to treat OCD?

Around seven out of 10 people can benefit from either medication or exposure and response prevention. 

For people who respond well to medication, symptoms can be reduced by up to 60%.  Common medications for OCD  include antidepressants classed as SRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors.) We work with you to find the right medication. 

Talk therapy

Dr. Olele can also help you manage your OCD with one-on-one talk therapy sessions, either in his office or through telepsychiatry (phone or video conferencing.) Talk therapy can help you learn how to recognize when you are having obsessive thoughts or engaging in compulsive behaviors.

If you can tell when you are having an episode of OCD, you can learn how to redirect your thoughts and actions. Over time, your OCD episodes can become less intense and further apart. 

For most people, a combination of medication and other options like talk therapy work best for managing OCD symptoms. 

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Olele, or ask about available telepsychiatry appointments. Our offices are located in Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia, and in Washington, DC.