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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder: What's the Connection?

People who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are more likely to acquire other mental illnesses. Major depressive disorder is one of the most frequent (MDD). According to studies, as many as two-thirds of persons with OCD will suffer from a significant depressive episode at some point throughout their condition. The causes might range from reactive stress to compulsive or obsessive behaviours to physiological changes in the brain that affect mood and behaviour.

Depression is especially dangerous for persons with OCD because it can make it difficult for them to stick to their treatment plan.

Major Depressive Disorder:

MDD is a mental condition in which mood, thinking, and behavioural patterns are disrupted over extended periods of time. The sickness causes the person to be distressed, and it affects his or her social functioning and quality of life. MDD is characterised by persistent sorrow or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, as well as weight gain, insomnia, exhaustion, difficulties focusing, physical disability, and a high suicide risk. MDD was rated as the world's fourth leading cause of disability and early mortality by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000.

According to the World Health Organization, by 2020, MDD will be second only to ischemic heart disease in terms of disease burden. Many individuals mistakenly believe that being depressed merely entails being really unhappy. You don't have to cry to feel depressed, though. All of the abnormal habits, as well as a slew of others that impact how you think, feel, act, and express yourself, might be indicators of depression.

Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder:

The majority of persons with depression benefit from medication and counselling. Medications might be prescribed by your health care physician or a psychiatrist to treat the symptoms. However, contacting a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health expert can help many people with depression. If you have severe depression, you might need to go to the hospital or enrol in an outpatient treatment programme until your symptoms improve.

Psychotherapy is a wide term that refers to talking with a mental health professional about your depression and related issues in order to receive treatment. Psychotherapy is sometimes known as talk therapy or psychological treatment. Depression can be treated using a variety of psychotherapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal therapy. Other forms of therapy may be suggested by your mental health practitioner. Psychotherapy can assist you in the following ways:

  • Adapt to a crisis or other pressing issue
  • Replace unhealthy, negative ideas and habits with healthy, good ones.
  • Examine your connections and experiences, as well as how you interact with others.
  • Improve your problem-solving and coping skills.
  • Recognize the things that contribute to your depression and change the behaviours that make it worse.
  • Get relief from depression symptoms like hopelessness and wrath, as well as a sense of fulfilment and control in your life.
  • Learn how to develop realistic life objectives.
  • Using healthy practises, improve your capacity to tolerate and accept discomfort.

Depression can be so severe in some people that they require hospitalisation. This may be essential if you are unable to adequately care for yourself or if you are in urgent risk of injuring yourself or others. A hospital's psychiatric care might help you be calm and safe until your mood improves. Some persons may benefit from partial hospitalisation or day therapy programmes. These programmes give outpatient assistance and counselling to help people manage their symptoms.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, long-term disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions) that he or she feels compelled to repeat.

Obsessions are anxiety-inducing ideas, desires, or mental pictures that repeat themselves. Symptoms that are common include:

  • Fear of infection or germs
  • Thoughts about sex, religion, or harm that are outlawed or taboo.
  • Having everything symmetrical or in perfect order Having aggressive thoughts towards others or yourself.

Obsessions are anxiety-inducing ideas, desires, or mental pictures that repeat themselves. Symptoms that are common include:

  • Handwashing and/or excessive cleaning
  • Things are organised and ordered in a certain, exact manner. Checking items frequently, such as checking to verify if the door is closed or the oven is turned off
  • Counting obsessively.

Not all compulsions or routines are compulsions. Everyone double-checks their work from time to time. But, in general, an OCD sufferer:

  • Can't control his or her ideas or activities, even when they're considered excessive. Spends at least one hour every day on these thoughts or behaviours.
  • Doesn't like the activities or routines, but they may provide temporary reprieve from the distress that the ideas generate.
  • Has considerable difficulties in their everyday lives as a result of these beliefs or actions .

Some people with OCD also suffer from tic disorders. Eye blinking and other eye motions, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking are all examples of motor tics. Repetitive throat clearing, sniffing, or grunting noises are common vocal tics. Symptoms may appear and go, improve with time, or worsen.

People with OCD may attempt to assist themselves by avoiding circumstances that trigger their obsessions or by calming themselves with drink or medicines. Although most individuals with OCD are aware that what they are doing is abnormal, some adults and children may be unaware that their actions are abnormal. Children's OCD symptoms are usually recognised by their parents or instructors.

Treatment of OCD:

Medication, psychotherapy, or a mix of the two is commonly used to treat OCD. despite the fact that the majority of individuals with OCD respond to therapy, some continue to have symptoms. people with OCD may also suffer from anxiety, sadness, or body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which a person incorrectly feels that a part of their body is abnormal. when deciding on treatment, it's crucial to keep these additional problems in mind. Psychotherapy is a viable therapeutic option for both adults and children with OCD.

Certain forms of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and other associated therapies (e.g., habit reversal training), have been shown in studies to be as helpful as medicine for many people. Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) – spending time in the exact situation that triggers compulsions (e.g. touching dirty objects) but not being allowed to engage in the usual resulting compulsion (e.g. handwashing) – has also been shown to be effective in reducing compulsive behaviours in OCD, even in people who did not respond well to SRI medication.

SRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat OCD symptoms. SRIs frequently require greater daily dosages in the therapy of OCD than in the treatment of depression, and they can take up to 12 weeks to start working, while some patients have faster results. If symptoms do not improve with these drugs, evidence suggests that some people may benefit from an antipsychotic. Although studies suggests that antipsychotic medication may assist patients with OCD and tic disorders control their symptoms, the evidence regarding antipsychotics' efficacy in treating OCD is equivocal.

Reduce OCD & MDD Symptoms At Abhasa

We at Abhasa Rehabilitation Centre will provide tailored-made programs and effective treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. We will make sure each of our clients is satisfied with the services we provide. Are you interested in opting for our services? Please contact us now!

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