OCD Treatment & Relief from Intrusive Thoughts

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

It’s a common misconception that obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is about being super organized or a perfectionist. When you live with OCD, you experience uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviors you feel like you must perform. Symptoms consume significant time and interfere with daily life and routines.

  • Obsessions: Unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant anxiety or distress. Common obsessions include fears of contamination, harm, unwanted sexual or aggressive thoughts, or a need for symmetry.
  • Compulsions: Repetitive behaviors caused by obsessions. Examples can include washing, arranging, counting, or seeking assurance.

Individuals with OCD know their thoughts are irrational, and that’s what makes living with OCD so torturous. They’re trapped in a cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsions to temporarily reduce anxiety, but that relief is short-lived. With the right therapy and sometimes medication, people break free from this exhausting cycle.

Signs and Symptoms of OCD

Common obsessions seen in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder can include:

  • Fear of contamination (such as from germs, dirt, or bodily fluids).
  • Fear of directly causing harm to yourself or others, or fear that harm will come to yourself or others.
  • Unwanted violent, sexual, or aggressive thoughts.
  • Need for symmetry, order, or exact arrangement.
  • Religious or moral obsessions.
  • Fear of illness or disease.
  • Intrusive images or sounds.

Compulsions are often severe enough to affect an individual’s quality of life and interfere with going to work, attending school, or interpersonal relationships. Common compulsions can include:

  • Frequent hand-washing or cleaning.
  • Checking locks, appliances, or the body for signs of illness.
  • Arranging or organizing.
  • Counting, such as steps taken or other movements.
  • Seeking assurance.
  • Performing mental rituals.
  • Avoiding certain situations.

Getting an OCD Diagnosis in Kansas

Montana will explore your obsessions and compulsions — what thoughts intrude, what you do to manage them, and how much time and distress they cause.

A key feature of OCD is that you recognize your thoughts as irrational (unlike some other conditions where someone truly believes their obsessions). Montana will also assess whether OCD is interfering with work, relationships, and daily functioning.

Treating OCD

A multi-pronged approach can be effective for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Your clinician may recommend:

Medication

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the first-line treatment for OCD. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, which carries signals between nerve cells, called neurons. After carrying a signal, the nerve cells usually take serotonin back into them in a process called reuptake. SSRIs block the process to make serotonin more available to carry messages between neurons.

Finding the right medication and dosage can take time, but many people begin experiencing significant improvement in a month or two.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

In this process, you’ll gradually expose yourself to situations or thoughts that trigger your obsessions, while resisting the urge to perform the compulsions that go with them. Over time, your anxiety decreases as you realize the feared consequence won’t happen.

Cognitive Therapy

Regular therapy sessions teach you the skills to identify and challenge obsessive thoughts and the fears that underlie them. You can develop a more realistic perspective on threat and uncertainty.

Lifestyle Support

Stress management, getting good sleep, and exercising are all important lifestyle changes to make to reduce OCD symptoms.

Conditions We Treat

Your OCD Assessment

Your first 40-minute appointment with Brady Psychiatry will focus on understanding your specific obsessions and compulsions. This is an important conversation, so come prepared to share your experiences.

We’ll create a treatment plan, likely involving both medication and therapy. Exposure and response prevention therapy can be done with a specialized therapist in your Kansas community, and Montana will guide your overall care.

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When to Seek Help for OCD

If intrusive thoughts are causing significant distress and compulsions are consuming your time (more than an hour per day), reach out to us. OCD tends to worsen over time without treatment, so early intervention is important.

Frequently Asked Questions About OCD Treatment

Is OCD just being really organized and particular?
No. Obsessive-compulsive disorder causes significant distress and dysfunction. People with OCD spend hours on compulsions and feel tortured by intrusive thoughts. It isn’t a “type-A personality trait.”
No. It is reasonable to give your home a once-over before leaving. OCD is characterized by repetitive obsessive thoughts and compulsions that severely interfere with your daily life.
No. In fact, the presence of unwanted thoughts are a hallmark of OCD. People with OCD are often deeply disturbed by these thoughts because they are contrary to their values.
Exposure and response prevention typically shows results within weeks to months, while medication can take four to eight weeks to become effective. Improvement continues over time, and no two experiences are the same.
That’s okay! It’s a process that can take time. In ERP, you work gradually, tolerating increasing amounts of anxiety and aren’t expected to jump into the most difficult exposures immediately.

You don't have to live with unwanted thoughts and exhausting rituals.

Schedule your appointment with Montana at Brady Psychiatry today. Telehealth appointments available 24/7 through SimplePractice.

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