OCD SPECIALIST

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD involves unreasonable fears or worries (obsessions) that drive specific actions (compulsions), causing anxiety and other negative responses. For someone who isn’t experiencing these obsessions and compulsions, they can seem odd and nonsensical. However, if you have OCD, you experience them in a powerful way. 

Avoiding your obsessions to prevent compulsions can cause major distress, and even attempting to control the thoughts with reasoning is usually fruitless. Acting on your compulsions provides relief from disturbing, distressing, or recurrent obsessions. 

At Innovative Psychiatry, LLC, your provider evaluates you with a psychiatric evaluation and can make an accurate diagnosis of OCD. Then, they develop an individualized care plan that helps you manage your symptoms. 

What are the symptoms of OCD?

Symptoms of OCD vary widely among individuals with the condition — even with the same diagnosis, your obsessions and compulsions are not likely to be the same as another person. Some of the most common obsessions among people with OCD are:

• A fear of germs or dirt
• Doubts about past behaviors (e.g., wondering if you unplugged the toaster)
• A need for order and organization
• A fixation with symmetry
• Sexual thoughts
• Violent thoughts

Compulsions tend to be repeated actions that almost seem automatic in response to obsessions. They can also vary widely. A few common examples are excessive hand washing, excessive organizing, and performing actions a certain number of times. OCD obsessions can be time-consuming, inconvenient, and disruptive to your lifestyle or well-being. 

How can I manage OCD?

Innovative Psychiatry, LLC provides some of the most well-trusted treatments for OCD within individualized care plans based on the results of your evaluations. Your treatment plan for OCD at Innovative Psychiatry, LLC might involve:

Medications

Anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants can both be beneficial for OCD management. Your provider uses GeneSight® pharmacogenomic testing to analyze your DNA and determine which medications might benefit you.  

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), helps you recognize thought patterns and learn coping mechanisms to help you take control over your behaviors resulting from those thoughts. 

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

A newer treatment for depression and OCD, NeuroStar® TMS, uses noninvasive magnetic impulses to stimulate your brain. 

If symptoms of OCD affect your well-being or that of a loved one, schedule an appointment by calling Innovative Psychiatry, LLC or booking online today.