The biological approach to treating OCD

Question 1

describe drug therapy in terms of OCD

Answer 1

Aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or increase/decrease their activity. Low levels of serotonin are believed to be associated with OCD so drugs work in various ways to increase levels of serotonin in the brain.

Question 2

The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of OCD involves a particular type of antidepressant drug SSRIs explain how they work.

Answer 2

SSRIS work on the serotonin system in the brain. Serotonin is released by certain neurons in the brain. It is released by presynaptic neurons and travels across a synapse. The neurotransmitter is chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron and then it is reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron where it is broken down and re-used. By preventing there-absorption and breakdown of serotonin SSRIs effectively increases its level in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron. Takes 3-4 months of daily use to have much impact on symptoms. available as capsules or liquid

Question 3

Drugs are often to used alongside what to treat OCD? and why?

Answer 3

CBT
the drug reduces the patient’s emotional symptoms such as feeling depressed or anxious this means that they can engage more effectively with CBT

Question 4

when an SSRI is not effective after 3-4 months, doses can be increased, combined with other drugs or alternative drugs can be used instead such as…?

Answer 4

Tricyclics - such as Clomipramine which have the same effect on the serotonin system as the SSRIs but has more severe side effects so generally kept reserved for patients who don’t respond to SSRIs

SNRIs - these are like Clomipramine, a second line of defence for patients who don’t respond to SSRIs. SNRIs increase levels of serotonin as well as another diff neurotransmitter - noradrenaline.

Question 5

AO3- drugs are cost-effective and non-disruptive

Answer 5

drug treatments are cheap compared to psychological treatments. Using drugs to treat OCD is therefore good value for a public health system like the National Health Service. As compared to psychological therapies, SSRIs are also non-disruptive to patients’ lives. If you wish you can simply take drugs until your symptoms decline and not engage with the hard work of psychological therapy

Question 6

AO3 - drugs can have side effects

Answer 6

Although SSRIs are often helpful to sufferers of OCD, a significant minority will get no benefit. Some patients also suffer side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive. These side-effects are usually temporary. For those taking Clomipramine, side effects are more common and can be serious.More than 1 in 10 patients suffer erection problems, tremors and weight gain. Such factors reduce effectiveness bc people stop taking the medication.

Question 7

AO3- some cases of OCD follow trauma

Answer 7

OCD is widely believed to be biological in origin. It therefore makes sense, that the standard treatment should be biological. However it is acknowledged that OCD can have a range of other causes, and that in some cases it is a response to a traumatic life event in which case it wouldn’t be appropriate to treat cases that follow trauma with drugs.