biological approach to treating OCD

• SSRI's

  SSRI's prevent the re-uptake of serotonin in the synaptic cleft, this means there is more serotonin available to the next neuron
• tricyclic

  block the mechanism that re-absorbs both seratonin and noradrenaline, prolonging their activity
• BZ's

  BZ's slow down the activity of the central nervous system by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA which in turn reduce anxiety
• strengths

  -Thoren et al (1980) found that use of SSRI's was significantly better at reducing obsessional thoughts than a placebo

  -researchers have found that using other antidepressants that don't affect serotonin levels is ineffective at reducing OCD symptoms

  -relatively inexpensive and more convenient treatment for patients as CBT requires more of the patients time
• weaknesses

  -up to 50% of patients with OCD dont experience any improvement in their symptoms when taking SSRI's, out of those that do improve 90% have a relapse when they stop taking them

  -side effects of using these types of drugs include nausea and headaches, and sometimes increased levels of anxiety which can cause people to stop taking their medication