The psychologist talked about ways to detect OCD and its treatment

A person who monitors everything, checks several times and does not trust anyone to do things, is often told that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). On June 21, a psychologist at the Golden Care Center for Chronic Diseases (part of Medscan Group of Companies) told how to recognize and cure it Ekaterina Kosheleva in an interview with "Газета.Ru ".

OCD is also called obsessive-compulsive disorder. A person who is faced with this disease has disturbing thoughts, obsessions, forcing him to perform repetitive actions, compulsions, to calm down.

"Obsessions and compulsions are the main signs of OCD. They can be different. <...> People with OCD often become obsessed with order and symmetry, which is why they constantly clean up, arrange things in a certain sequence, spending a huge amount of time and effort on it," said the psychologist.

According to the expert, people with OCD are prone to perfectionism, and some are also addicted to certain numbers and calculations.

It clarifies that OCD is not a funny feature, but a pattern of behavior that interferes with the patient's social life. As some of the subjects note, the disease has made it more difficult for them to communicate with others. People with this type of disorder realize that their obsessions are abnormal, but they cannot get rid of obsessive thoughts on their own.

"For therapy, it is necessary to consult a psychiatrist who will select the necessary treatment — it usually combines psychotherapy and medications," she said.

According to the psychologist, taking antidepressants is not always necessary. Therapy is selected individually for each patient. The doctor said that people who live with people suffering from OCD should refrain from criticism and anger towards them. Kosheleva noted that patients need to hear support in the fight against this type of disorder.

"It is possible to get to the remission stage in obsessive-compulsive disorder, but relapses of the disease are not excluded. <… > During the period of exacerbation, it is important to be in contact with the attending physician, use the suggested techniques to combat obsessions and compulsions, and not blame yourself for the deterioration of well—being — it has been shown that such self-accusations contribute to relapse," the doctor said.

The appearance of signs of OCD that interfere with normal life and reduce its quality is a reason to consult a specialist. Today, it is more than possible to take control of the disease and regain a life without obsessions and compulsions.

Lydia Antonovich, a practicing psychologist, said on June 20 that panic attacks have not been fully studied and can occur for various reasons, from stress to genetic predisposition. According to the expert, the cause of their occurrence may be chronic lack of sleep, which increases anxiety.