It’s not just ADHD Awareness Month (hyperlink with blog link for ADHD blog), October is also home to OCD Awareness Week. The second full week of October is acknowledged every year as OCD Awareness Week. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by recurring or unwanted thoughts that drive individuals to do something repetitively. An OCD diagnosis occurs when obsessions and/or compulsions are time-consuming, distressing, and impede an individual’s ability to work or socialize.
Obsessions bring on distressing emotions such as anxiety and disgust due to the recurrent and persistent nature of the thoughts or impulses. Many can recognize their obsessions as an excessive and unreasonable product of their mind. Most try to ignore or suppress their obsessions by offsetting them with another action.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that an individual is driven to perform in response to obsessions. The goal of these behaviors is to prevent or reduce the stress of the obsession that triggered it, but in the most severe cases, the ritual repetition fills the entire day making normal routine impossible. Many individuals realize the behavior is irrational but are unable to stop either the obsession or the compulsion.
Treatment for OCD involves medication, therapy, or a combination of the two. OCD treatment is highly personalized and requires a wide range of medical and psychological evaluations to determine the correct medications and therapy methods. Our office is prepared to invest in all our patients’ wellness promotion, prevention, treatment, and recovery. Counselors at Gilstrap & Associates consider every part of what makes you unique. This includes mind, body and spiritual elements. Each counselor is dedicated to providing comprehensive assessments and incorporating a variety of therapeutic techniques and services. We partner with experts in the medical and nutrition fields for treatment when necessary. Our practice is built on compassion, energy and positivity. Please contact us to determine if our practice will be a good fit for you.