The Science & Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | Episode 78
Main Takeaways
OCD is a combination of thoughts (obsessions) and actions (compulsions), often linked in a way where the obsessions lead to the compulsions.
OCD is characterized by intrusive obsessions that the person does not want to have and compulsions that provide brief relief but reinforce the obsession.
True OCD is extremely debilitating, ranking #7 among illnesses, and is highly underreported due to shame or embarrassment.
The underlying binding of OCD is anxiety, which is a bodily fear response without clear and present danger in the environment.
The three categories of OCD are checking, repetitions, and order, and substance abuse is high in people with OCD because of anxiety and damaging thought patterns.
The cortico-striatal thalamic loop is the circuit and loop that is active in OCD and is the target of drug therapies.
Diagnosing OCD is done through the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), which helps to identify the exact fear driving the compulsion.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapy for OCD, and it identifies the underlying fear and purposely invokes more anxiety in attempts to intervene in neural circuits.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to reduce symptoms of OCD, but not everyone responds to pharmaceutical treatment.
Exploratory treatments such as cannabis and hormone manipulations may prove fruitful in treating OCD by restoring the function of the GABA system.
