Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Treatable Condition
Exposure and response prevention remains the gold standard.
Dr. Élise Rambert
Psychiatrist
Contamination/washing, checking, symmetry/ordering, intrusive taboo thoughts. Recognised as excessive but hard to resist.
Treatment
Cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention (ERP) is first-line. SSRIs at higher doses than for depression are effective.
Resistance and persistence
Therapy is harder than it sounds: a trained therapist matters. Medication trials need 10-12 weeks at adequate dose.
Beyond the textbook
OCD presents in many forms — relationship OCD, harm OCD — equally responsive to evidence-based care.
OCD is not 'liking things tidy': it is a condition where avoidance and rituals consume hours of the day.
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