HomeAnswersPsychotherapyobsessive compulsive disorderI have OCD, which is affecting my routine. How to treat it?

What should I do to reduce my OCD?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Ashok Kumar

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At May 1, 2016
Reviewed AtFebruary 13, 2024

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am observing obsession since last two to three years. I discussed my symptoms with a doctor at icliniq and he told me it is due to OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Firstly, I have this problem if a topic or matter emotionally bothers me. I keep calling my mother frequently on phone and start talking for long duration. I cannot be without calling as we both stay in different state. If I do not get a chance to call my mother then I call to any of my friend and talk about the same topic. When a topic or thought rotates in my head my focus tends to go there only so current work gets disturbed. I do will start cooking and then forget and go to other room to start another work. Even though in office I always works good, recently observing that my focus is diverting from my work to other work where my mind tends to stay. Because of this, my current task is getting affected.

Secondly, I am very absent minded at home. In office also I sometimes forget to attend daily meetings where all project teams come and give updates regarding their progress of tasks. I also forget sometimes to check fingerprint in office which is for security purpose. I have stopped taking care of myself. My life is not routine oriented at all. I am poor in time management also. When I am at home, I generally walk and keep eating something. In office whenever I call mother from my mobile I cannot relax or stay at same area and I keep walking and talking over phone. Please guide me. What should I do to reduce my OCD, absent mindedness, anxiety and restless nature? These are immensely bothering me. Do you offer psychotherapy online for these? What is the procedure to attend psychotherapy sessions online? Please guide. Thanks.

Answered by Dr. Ashok Kumar

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query with keen interest and agree with your doctor who suggested OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) for current symptoms.

In addition, it appears to me that there is secondary depression. So, your diagnosis for current condition can be called OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) with secondary depression.

Regarding treatment part, both psychotherapy and medications are effective for control of symptoms.

I do offer psychotherapy for OCD and depression on weekly basis lasting for 10-12 weeks.

Majority of the patients get benefited with psychotherapy of such duration. In addition, few patients who have moderate to severe symptoms need medications in addition to therapy.

  • Regarding psychotherapy, you can book online consultation for one hour on any day from Monday to Saturday after the assessment part is over.
  • From the symptoms mentioned in your query prima facie (first impression) it seems that you need both psychotherapy and medications.
  • Please give me few additional details such as your age, gender, any medication history? Do have past history of any medical illness or psychiatric illness?
  • Are you under any current medication? Is there a family history of any medical or psychiatric history?

Revert back with the detailed information to a psychotherapist online -->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychotherapist

Patient's Query

Hi,

From my young age, I had a passion to write poetry in my mother tongue. Till college level I used to publish on regular basis on different magazines and my articles got published several times in renowned local newspaper. Later, due to my career I left writing. But, started slowly as my career is settled now. Since I was 7 years old I wrote poems in my mother tongue. I am 100 percent confident to say that I have great writing skill in my mother tongue. However, my main point is to say that since my childhood I was very creative, thoughtful and imaginative in nature and little absent minded, but that was under absolute control. Because of my thoughtful, imaginative, poetic nature I never became topper in school but I was very good in science subjects and maths was my all-time favorite subject. I often got full marks in small exams of maths but in big exam missed full marks due to silly mistakes however that too was good. I am saying all these not to boast about myself but just to point out the fact that even after being imaginative and little absent minded as well as thoughtful I was good with my academics. But I am not sure whether my absent mindedness is due to my artistic or poetic nature or any serious problem? However, since last two to three years my absent mindedness and thoughtful nature is bothering me a lot and affecting my productivity badly at household management. Because of this reason we have a cook and maid, but I want to stop them and do my household chores myself. In office I always put my best dedication. Regarding obsessive thinking pattern, I never had obsession. I was always very much emotional, immensely innocent, immature and less practical due to my upbringing and may be still I am emotional enough. I take everything to heart. Whatever I take into my mind, I put my best effort and dedication to achieve it. For instance, I aimed to crack campus interview for job from my engineering college and so one and half year prior to it only I started preparing and finally got selected through campus interview. I was the only candidate to get selected in top software firm from my entire department. What I mean is that the quality could be defined as controlled dedication. But since last 2 to 3 years, I am observing obsessive problem in me which I want to rectify. Once after discussion on my symptoms with icliniq doctor I came to know current symptoms are OCD symptoms. Immediately I got consciousness and now I am able to control it without any medication or treatment. However, I want to rectify these symptoms fully.

Regarding depression, I was already suffering from much stress and depression due to career problem. And things and situation gradually turned out of my hands. I started to panic because of some personal issues that I faced in my office. It was very difficult for me to cope up with the situation. I had to be under tablet Trinicalm plus, Oleanz for long months to overcome the fearful mental state that I was going through. Doctor declared me as normal. But only thing was no counseling or psychotherapy was done. No body listened to me or helped in clearing root of the problem. Only my mother listened to me, believed me and stood by me. Nobody wanted to know why such fear came in my mind or may be I was not in the state to explain anything properly except to my mother. However, I only fought with my mind and by self-convincing myself, I overcame the situation but still it haunts my mind sometimes.

Presently, I am absolutely fine and not under any medication. I have no depression because of my career as my job got well settled. In personal life I have immensely loving and caring life partner. And I am very happy in my personal life. Currently, I am more happier as I am carrying baby for first time. Also, the depression test which you had sent, gives me result score 9 and states as normal. I have attached the reports of OCD test and secondary depression for your reference. Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Ashok Kumar

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It was pleasant to know about your thought process and your capabilities. I am glad to know that you are returning back to creativity and started writing poems which you had lost track due to career and other issues in life.

It is good to know depressive symptoms are not troublesome and manageable to a large extent. This is evident by BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) score which clearly says about normalcy of mind (BDI -9) in reference to depression (attachment removed to protect patient identity).

  • The score over Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) is 16-17 and well near the mild to moderate OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) level. As I can see there is dominance of obsessions rather than compulsions in which patients show high response with medication and slightly lower response rate with psychotherapy.
  • I mean to say that medication is better option in this regard although psychotherapy have role and can be used. If you feel that you do not want to subject yourself with medication I will be glad to provide psychotherapy at the earliest as I have plan to travel intensively in the next two weeks.
  • I feel good on commenting on your thought process, imaginative power and absent minded. I like to say that it is normal to be absent minded in one or another occasion. We call it disorder when it interrupts any sphere of your life.

By definition if it interferes with your social, occupational, interpersonal and academic achievement or functioning then we call it as absent mindedness. As you said above for last two years it started affecting work and there is definite need to treat it by one or another means.

Similarly, human brain is not always attentive or imaginative. We need imagination to feed our needs but at the same time we need to spare other time to accomplish that imagination in reality.

As you said you are returning back to that creativity with writing poems and doing fruitful things, it is imperative to acknowledge that having imagination in right perspective is never normal if they do not interfere with any sphere of your life.

So keep your imaginations running and give beautiful creative poems to keen readers and loved ones. I will emphasize again that nothing is abnormal which do not interfere with your life significantly.

Now coming back to OCD part. Before we meet for our first session please do the following things:

  • Whenever you detect those unnecessary thoughts in your mind, imagine a red light over the road of thoughts and a policeman there with large stick. Just like a red light at street crossing where we fear crossing, we sometime do not see red light but still we stop our vehicle before the crossing. Over the repeated practice you will be able to stop those thought significantly.
  • Do not allow brain to wander. I know this is much easy to say rather than done, but I am sure you will see improvement over time.
  • Take a note book and note down all abnormal thoughts. It will be better if you can record all thoughts on daily basis.
  • This will be useful for your counseling process to understand with minute details. I hope this helps you at this level.

For further information consult a psychotherapist online -->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychotherapist

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I could not take consultation due to health reason as I was carrying baby. Baby is of 2 months now and my OCD symptoms are completely gone. I am quite relaxed, happy and good forever. Do I need any further treatment?

Answered by Dr. Ashok Kumar

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

As we discussed in past, the treatment is required when any of the symptoms affects any domain of our life. It may be social, familial, occupational or academic to name a few.

  • Carrying baby is beautiful feeling and heals many of the stresses and depression in expectant and feeding mothers.
  • I am glad to know that your efforts with just a piece of guidance are working well and you need to continue those simple efforts, so there is no relapse over time.
  • I must inform you that with fluctuations in stress and in our life, with time it can bring some changes in our mental state including OCD. So, it is important to keep yourself busy and active with other things like exercise to tackle depression.

Since, you do not have any symptoms now affecting any domain of life there is no need for further treatment by medications or psychotherapy.

For further information consult a psychotherapist online -->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychotherapist

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ashok Kumar
Dr. Ashok Kumar

Geriatrics

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