Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can make you feel ashamed and anxious, but you’re not alone. It’s estimated that one in 40 U.S. adults experience OCD symptoms.

The type and severity of symptoms differ from person to person, and symptoms don’t always fit into the stereotype of what people think OCD is. If you or someone you care about is living with OCD and needs professional support, online therapy can help.

What Is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health condition that causes intrusive thoughts and anxiety. People living with OCD feel driven to engage in repetitive behaviors or rituals in an attempt to alleviate the anxiety temporarily.

The actions a person performs to find relief from their obsessions can quickly become compulsions. The more the person tries to avoid acting on their compulsions, the more severe the anxiety becomes in the short term.

Obsessive thoughts and compulsions can interfere with your daily life, but appropriate treatment can help you challenge your thoughts, disengage from compulsions, and learn more effective strategies for reducing anxiety.

Symptoms of OCD

OCD typically centers on one or more specific themes. One person may have an excessive fear of germ contamination, while another may be obsessed with worry that a family member will be harmed in some way.

Many OCD sufferers fear they will cause harm to someone else either accidentally or on purpose. Obsessive behaviors are developed as a coping mechanism for these worrisome thoughts and the guilt attached to them.

It is important to make the distinction between people with OCD and people who actually do want to harm others. People who do want to hurt others get pleasure from their fantasies and are not overwhelmed with anxiety because of their thoughts.

Not every person with OCD has thoughts of doing harm, and those who do feel immense guilt, shame, and distress about these thinking patterns. In fact, their desire to avoid harmful actions is what prompts compulsive behaviors.

Compulsive behaviors can also be thematic. Some of the most common themes seen in OCD behavior include:

• Following a strict daily routine

• Counting rituals, such as counting in a specific pattern before leaving home

• Obsessively double- and triple-checking things, such as locked doors

• Keeping their personal or workspace in perfect order

Living with OCD can be exhausting, especially if you’re trying to hide your symptoms from coworkers and family members.

Risk Factors for OCD

It is possible to have OCD without exhibiting any of the risk factors related to the condition. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing OCD. The risk factors include but are not limited to:

• Age (most common among older teens and young adults)

• Genetics

• The presence of other mental health disorders or neurological conditions

• Experiencing pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS)

• Stress, especially the stress caused by major life changes

If you’ve begun having obsessive thoughts or the desire to perform compulsive behaviors and meet one or more of the OCD risk factors, connect with one of our online psychiatrists right away. We can provide a complete mental health evaluation and start you on the road to better mental health.

Getting Online Therapy for OCD

The online therapy options at MindRx make it easy for people to connect with mental help professionals and services like online medication management for OCD. We offer evidence-based treatments, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy

• Dialectical behavior therapy

• Exposure therapy

• Family therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered one of the most effective ways to treat OCD symptoms. It may be used as a stand-alone treatment or in addition to medications and other therapies.

CBT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on changing negative or dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaving. Working with an online psychiatrist and therapist who is experienced with CBT helps patients identify the patterns that lead to obsessive thinking and build the new skills needed to change those unwanted habits.

Benefits of Seeing an Online Psychiatrist for OCD

There are many benefits of online therapy. First, it is just as effective, and sometimes more so, as in-person therapy. Receiving therapy online is easy, safe, and may be especially helpful for those whose OCD symptoms make it difficult to leave home. Other benefits of seeing an online psychiatrist for OCD include:

• Continuity of care regardless of weather, transportation issues, or the severity of your symptoms that day

• Privacy

• Cost-effective

• Ability to demonstrate symptoms

When describing your cleaning or checking compulsions to an online psychiatrist, it may be helpful to show them your home environment and compulsive routines. Additional family members or healthcare professionals can join the chat from wherever they are if needed.

Seeing an online psychiatrist for OCD allows you to connect with the most helpful resources all across the world.

Understanding Online Medication Management for OCD

Online medication management is a service that helps patients manage their OCD medication schedules. We start by discussing your history with medications and addressing any complications you have had with receiving and taking medications as directed. The benefits of online medication management include:

• A more personalized treatment approach

• More collaboration between patient and healthcare team

• Better response time if medications cause unwanted side effects or are not treating OCD symptoms adequately

• Increased patient satisfaction

Too often, OCD patients are given medications without a clear understanding of how and why they are supposed to help. This can lead to the misuse or disuse of prescriptions that could minimize OCD symptoms.

Online medication management helps to ensure medications are taken correctly and opens the door to better communication between a patient and their provider.

Get Help Today at MindRx

Are you ready to start managing your symptoms with online therapy for OCD? The team of qualified, licensed mental health professionals at MindRx is here to help. We want every person to receive the high-quality mental health care they need on their own terms.

It is possible to get your OCD symptoms under control and live the full, joyful life you deserve. With MindRx on your side, good mental health is possible.