biological approach to treating OCD

• SSRI’s prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the brain. This increases its levels in the synapse and thus serotonin continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neurone. This compensated for what is wrong with the serotonin system in OCD.
• drugs are after used alongside cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to treat OCD. The drugs reduce a person’s emotional symptoms, such as feeling anxious or depressed. This means that they can engage more effectively with CBT
• Tricyclics such as clomipramine have the same effect on the serotonin system as SSRIs and are usually reserved for those who don't respond well to SSRIs. However, the side effects can be more severe
• SNRIs are a second line of defence for people who don't respond to SSRIs. They increase levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline
• One strength of drug therapy is its effectiveness. Soomro et al. reviewed 17 studies of SSRIs for the treatment of OCD. All 17 studies showed better outcomes following SSRIs than placebos. Typically OCD symptoms reduce for around 70%of people taking SSRIs. This means that drugs can be of help to most people with OCD.
• One strength is that drugs are cost effective and non disruptive. They are cheap compared to psychological treatment. Using drugs to treat OCD is therefore good value for the NHS. As compared to psychological therapies, SSRIs are also non disruptive to people’s lives. Drugs can be taken until symptoms decline rather than spending time going to therapy sessions. This means that many doctors and people with OCD prefer drug treatments
• One limitation is that drugs can have serious side effects. A minority of people taking SSRIs get no benefit. Some people also experience side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive. For those taking clomipramine, side effects are common ad can be more serious. More than 1 in 10 people experience erection problems and weight gain, 1 in 100 become aggressive. This means that people’s quality of life is poor and the outcome is they may stop taking the drugs reducing the effectiveness of the treatment