Have you been struggling with intrusive thoughts, images, or urges? Do you continually find yourself:
Maybe you suffer from persistent fears about contamination, spirituality, or relationships issues. Perhaps you go to great lengths to quell these fears, engaging in repetitive behaviors like excessive hand washing or reassurance seeking, only for the same cycle of fear to go on and on no matter what you do. As a result, maybe you’re thinking it’s time to get more in-depth treatment for OCD.
You may find yourself losing significant time to your obsessions and compulsions. Everyday tasks like leaving the house, taking care of chores, and going to work can be difficult because of how much time you spend checking locks and doors, making sure your hands are clean, or avoiding places that could trigger your fears.
After a while, living in the obsessive-compulsive cycle can lead to:
The good news is that with the right help and support, there is a way out of the obsessive-compulsive cycle. Here at Skypiatrist, our psychiatrists and therapists treat OCD in all its forms, using medication management and evidence-based treatments to help people like you overcome their symptoms and live more productive lives.
Our culture today is a breeding ground for OCD. American society is highly competitive and individualistic, and it rewards many of the behaviors that are central to OCD, such as pressure to maintain certainty and ensure there’s no margin for error. We’re taught to place control, optimization, and productivity above all else, which naturally lends itself to obsessive behavior.
On top of that, pandemic-era hygiene has reinforced many of the cleaning and checking rituals that OCD sufferers struggle with. So if you’re suffering from symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, you’re not alone—millions of people are in the same boat as you, wrestling with fears that impact their work, sleep, relationships, and overall health.
People with OCD often get trapped in the obsessive-compulsive cycle because their compulsive behaviors briefly reduce their anxiety, so they keep engaging in their compulsions over and over.
In the end, however, these behaviors only make their obsessions worse. The more OCD sufferers give in to their compulsions, the more they need to perform them to keep their fears at bay. Soon enough, their compulsions become a habit.
Even well-meaning loved ones and family members can reinforce a person’s OCD, encouraging them to maintain hygiene or strive for perfection. On the surface, it may seem like there’s nothing wrong with these behaviors, but when they control a person’s life, that’s a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In the popular imagination, OCD is often associated solely with cleanness and neatness. And while those are certainly facets of OCD, the actual condition has a much broader range of symptoms. That’s why a huge part of treating OCD involves educating clients on the nature of OCD and its many different subtypes.
At Skypiatrist, our Psychiatrists treat:
We’re proud to offer a combination of medication management and psychotherapy to our clients. Through medication management, you can significantly reduce or even eliminate your OCD symptoms; through therapy, you can address the deeper emotional challenges of living with the condition, working through any shame or self-blame that accompanies your OCD.
In the beginning, you and your psychiatrist will meet to get to know each other, discuss your history of OCD, and go over your goals for treatment. Together, the two of you will formulate a plan for reducing your obsessive thinking, managing your urges, and finding alternative coping methods that don’t reinforce the obsessive-compulsive cycle. Your psychiatrist will prescribe you OCD medications, starting at a low dose and working up to higher doses as you feel comfortable.
With the right dosing and close follow-up, either alone or in combination with psychotherapy, you can eventually:
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that OCD does not define you. It may be powerful, but the human brain has a profound capacity to change, adapt, and grow over time. The right OCD medication can increase the brain’s flexibility and resilience, making it easier to do the work of controlling your urges and managing your fears. In this way, treatment can help you reclaim your life from OCD.
Not everyone needs medication long-term. Many clients use meds to stabilize symptoms, and if their symptoms improve, they taper off successfully. Others use OCD meds to lift their fear and anxiety so that they follow therapy exercises more effectively. Still others stay on their meds long-term if doing so meaningfully improves their quality. The plan is always individualized, with regular check-ins—no one is locked into medication indefinitely.
You are not your thoughts! Your brain is an organ just like any other—there are some unhealthy loops and patterns it can fall into, but that doesn’t reflect your character or who you are. These thoughts are unwanted and often go directly against your values. Having them doesn’t mean you agree with them or would act on them. With treatment, many people with OCD are able to reduce the power their intrusive thoughts have over them.
Treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder is collaborative and goes at a pace that’s right for you. You’re never forced into anything. What’s more, our clinicians often start with medications to reduce OCD symptoms before having clients engage in the deeper work of counseling. The goal is to build confidence step by step—not overwhelm you.
Through our empathetic approach to therapy and our comprehensive approach to medication management, you can ultimately remove obsessive-compulsive disorder from the driver’s seat of your life. To get started, you can connect with one of our practitioners here at Skypiatrist by booking an evaluation through our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you!
Through our empathetic approach to therapy and our comprehensive approach to medication management, you can ultimately remove obsessive-compulsive disorder from the driver’s seat of your life. To get started, you can connect with one of our practitioners here at Skypiatrist by booking an evaluation through our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you!
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