Treatment of OCD

Question 1

What is used as treatment?

Answer 1

Drug therapy

Question 2

What antidepressant drugs are used?

Answer 2

SSRI’s

Antipsychotic drugs

Question 3

How do the antidepressant drugs help OCD?

Answer 3

SSRI’s - Elevate levels of serotonin

Antipsychotic drugs - lower levels of dopamine

Question 4

What are strengths of drug therapy?

Answer 4

• Cheaper/quicker than psychological therapies therefore a better option for the NHS (economical implications)
• Non-addictive
• Used in the long run

Question 5

What are weaknesses of drug therapy?

Answer 5

• Can cause side effects
• Might relapse after
• SSRI’s take 4-12 weeks to see any effect and people may stop using them in this time
• They dont cure OCD, only reduce compulsions and obsessions
• Some OCD cases are from trauma and are triggered

Question 6

What alternatives are there to SSRI’s?

Answer 6

• Combine SSRI’s with other treatments to make them more effective
• Tricyclics - same effect but more severe side effects so kept for people who dont respond to SSRI’s
• SNRI’s