OCD Treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia
OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is a mental health disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts and fears, known as obsessions, that lead you to perform ritualistic behaviors known as compulsions. Occasional obsessive thoughts or compulsions are experienced by most people, but around 2.2 million adults in the United States suffer from full-on obsessive-compulsive disorder.
While OCD can make you feel hopeless or isolated, the symptoms can be managed with medication and therapy can provide healthy coping mechanisms and new ways of thinking that may bring you relief. If you are searching for OCD treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia please keep reading.
What are the symptom subtypes of OCD?
- Contamination Obsession with Washing and Cleaning Compulsion: Characterized by intrusive thoughts about contamination and compulsions of excessive cleaning or washing.
- Harm Obsessions with Checking Compulsions: Characterized by obsessive thoughts about possible harm to yourself or others, and compulsions involving checking rituals to relieve your distress.
- Symmetry Obsessions with Ordering/Arranging/Counting Compulsions: Characterized by obsessive thoughts about symmetry and compulsions to make everything orderly until they are “just right”.
- Obsessions without Visible Compulsions: Characterized by intrusive thoughts about religious, sexual, or aggressive themes. Triggers related to these themes are typically avoided as much as possible.
- Hoarding: Characterized by obsessive fears of losing items or possessions that you may need one day.
What are the common symptoms of OCD?
Anyone suffering from an anxiety disorder may find themselves having difficulty functioning in their everyday life, and may fall behind at work or at school. Anxiety disorders can also affect your relationships with your loved ones or your physical health as well.
Although symptoms can vary from case to case and disorder to disorder, some of the most common symptoms include:
- Feelings of nervousness
- Feelings of restlessness
- Increased heart rate
- A sense of impending doom
- Hyperventilation
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble concentrating
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Avoiding things that trigger your anxiety
People with high stress or childhood trauma may be more likely to develop an anxiety disorder, as well as people with a family history of anxiety or other mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders can bring a higher risk of developing depression or heart disease, and some may turn to substance abuse to try to alleviate the symptoms of their disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can develop in anyone, from children to adults, and is different in everyone. If your anxiety and worry are interfering with your daily activities and personal relationships, it may be time to seek treatment.
Learning to manage the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can be a life-long challenge for some people. However, it can be improved with psychotherapy or medications, as well as general lifestyle changes.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Consistent anxiety and worry about things that are out of proportion to the reality of the events
- Overthinking
- Perceiving normal situations as threatening
- A difficulty with managing uncertainty
- Indecisiveness
- Fear of making a bad decision
- Being unable to relax
- Being unable to concentrate
Causes of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
There may not be a single cause when it comes to developing an anxiety disorder, but research indicates it may be caused by a variety of biological and environmental factors, including but not necessarily limited to:
- Different brain chemistry in different people
- Genetics or family history
- Childhood and development
- Temperament and personality
Ketamine for Anxiety Treatment
Ketamine, first developed and approved by the FDA as an anesthetic, is a promising new innovation in the field of anxiety treatment. While you may know it as the club drug often abused as Special K, Ketamine is what some doctors are calling the biggest breakthrough in depression and anxiety treatment in decades. When infused at a low dose into the bloodstream, research shows that Ketamine may be up to 80% effective at providing relief for anxiety disorder symptoms.
One benefit to visiting a New Jersey & Philadelphia Ketamine Clinic for anxiety treatment is its ability to sometimes bring relief to symptoms within minutes or hours, rather than the weeks or months your typical antidepressant or medication may take. If you are looking for OCD treatment in New Jersey & Philadelphia we invite you to contact us today to learn more.
