Living with OCD
A significant proportion of people with OCD improve considerably after receiving appropriate treatment. However, it is also true that some individuals, despite receiving this treatment, continue to have obsessions and compulsions that cause them difficulties... or these obsessions and compulsions may return (often referred to as a "relapse") after a period of being well. What can be done?
In some cases of OCD, relapses are strongly associated with a specific issue such as relationship problems, family difficulties or problems at work or school. When this occurs, it helps if the patient undergoes treatment with a professional who will teach them how to better cope with such situations.
It is unknown whether relapses can be prevented in people with OCD, but healthy physical and psychological habits such as regular physical activity, good sleeping habits, participating in leisure activities, good social support, and so on, probably help minimise the chances of suffering a relapse. In individuals who have received psychological treatment, it is important they continue to apply the skills learnt.
Some people with OCD must take medication for long periods and they may easily get tired of it. There are also some negative side effects of medications that can improve by following some simple guidelines. In all these cases, it is important to openly discuss with the professional the difficulties in maintaining the medication treatment.
Some people with OCD may find it helps to share their experiences of the disorder (or its treatment) with other people. Participating in support groups or associations for people with OCD can help significantly with recovery.
In Catalonia, there are two associations for people or for the families of people with OCD, which offer information, support activities, etc. The "Asociación TOC 2.0" (https://toc20.org/) and the "TOC Catalunya" association (https://toccatalunya.org/). The most important international association for OCD, the "International OCD Foundation," has much of the information on its website available in Spanish (https://iocdf.org/es/inicio/).
Substantiated information by:
Published: 7 February 2019
Updated: 7 February 2019
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