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Can People
With OCD Also
Have Other
Illnesses?
OCD is sometimes
accompanied by
depression, eating
disorders, substance
abuse, attention
deficit hyperactivity
disorder or other
anxiety disorders.
When a person
also has other
disorders, OCD
is often more
difficult to
diagnose and
treat. Symptoms
of OCD can also
coexist and may
even be part
of a spectrum
of other brain
disorders, such
as Tourette's
Syndrome. Appropriate
diagnosis and
treatment of
other disorders
are important
to successful
treatment of
OCD.
What Treatments
Are Available
for OCD?
Treatments
for OCD have
been developed
through research
supported by
the NIMH and
other research
institutions.
These treatments,
which combine
medications and
behavioral therapy
(a specific type
of psychotherapy),
are often effective.
Several medications
have been proven
effective in
helping people
with OCD: clomipramine,
fluoxetine, fluvoxamine,
sertraline and
paroxetine. If
one drug is not
effective, others
should be tried.
A number of other
medications are
currently being
studied.
A type of behavioral
therapy known
as "exposure
and response
prevention" is
very useful for
treating OCD.
In this approach,
a person is deliberately
and voluntarily
exposed to whatever
triggers the
obsessive thoughts,
and then is taught
techniques to
avoid performing
the compulsive
rituals and to
deal with the
anxiety.
Disease
Information
Source: National
Institutes
of Mental Health
(NIMH) and
The St. Luke
Hospital West
Mental Health
Unit.
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