OCD

If you have a persistent need for extreme orderliness or another type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you’re not alone, as one in 40 people in the United States develops this condition. At Dreavita, an adult and adolescent mental health telehealth practice serving patients in Michigan, Massachusetts, California, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, and Florida, Andrea Piazza, MA, and the team diagnose and treat OCD to help you gain control of unwanted thoughts and behaviors. Schedule a telehealth evaluation by phone or online today. 

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that affects thoughts and behaviors. It’s characterized by compulsions (ritualistic behavior patterns) and obsessions (undesirable fears and thoughts) that negatively impact your daily life. Treatment at Dreavita helps reduce the distress caused by OCD, restore relationships, and maximize your overall quality of life. 

Which symptoms can OCD cause?

OCD can lead to:

• Need for extreme orderliness and balance
• Fear of germs or dirt
• Problems dealing with uncertainty
• Irrational fears
• Horrific or unwanted thoughts
• Avoiding shaking hands or touching doorknobs
• Doubts about turning off the stove or locking the door
• Arranging canned goods facing the same direction
• Intense distress because of a lack of orderliness
• Constant cleaning or washing
• Washing your hands often
• Constantly counting or checking
• Having a strict routine

OCD is typically diagnosed during the teenage or young adult years.

What increases the risk of OCD?

OCD risk factors include:

• Family history of OCD
• Brain chemistry changes
• Learned OCD behaviors
• Stress 
• Other mental health conditions

OCD may be linked to depression, anxiety, tic disorders, or substance misuse. However, its cause isn’t fully clear, and anyone can develop OCD.

How is OCD diagnosed?

Diagnosing OCD at Dreavita involves a comprehensive, virtual psychiatric evaluation. Your mental health specialist discusses your behaviors, thoughts, emotions, moods, and lifestyle. They then personalize a treatment plan that helps you overcome crippling OCD symptoms, restoring your quality of life. 

How is OCD treated?

Dreavita provides the following OCD treatments:

• Kintsugi emotional wellness solutions
• Client-centered talk therapy
• Couples and family counseling
• Coaching
• Neurofeedback using Muse™ devices 
• Lifestyle changes
• Medications
• Art therapy
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Exposure therapy 
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Sublingual ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP)

The practice partners with Journey Clinical to offer fully remote KAP and provides an advanced therapeutic technology rental program. This allows you to rent neurofeedback or similar devices. Dreavita also uses workbooks and worksheets to help you overcome debilitating OCD symptoms. The team takes a holistic, integrative approach to mental health care.

It’s helpful to eat nutritious foods, try stress-reduction therapies, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid harmful addictive substances, such as drugs and excessive alcohol.

Schedule a virtual OCD evaluation at Dreavita by calling the office or using the online booking feature today.