of the above objects. He claims to realize that no one else seems to worry about the things he does and he knows that sometimes the things he does do not make sense, but he just can't shake these obsessions.Prevalence:About 2.3% of the U.S. population (3.3 million Americans) has OCD in a given year. OCD affects men and women equally. OCD typically begins during adolescence or early childhood; at least one-third of these cases of adult OCD began in childhood.Treatment Options:Treatments for OCD have been developed through research supported by the NIMH and other research institutions. These treatments, which combine medications and behavioral therapy, are often effective. Several medications have been proven effective in helping people with OCD such as, clomipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and paroxetine. 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.Treatment proven most effective:The treatment I found to be most effective, after reading all the studies I read was the behavioral therapy. 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 tasks and to deal with the obsessions. Studies of behavioral therapy for OCD have found it to be very effective treatment to those who complete it. For the treatment to be successful, it is important that the therapist be fully trained to provide this specific form of therapy. It is also helpful that the patient be highly motivated, be positive and have a determined attitude.References: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (300.3 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) http://www.fairlite.com/ocd/defs/dsmocd.shtml http://www.ocfoundation.org/...
