Treating OCD (drug therapy)

• Drug therapy


  Targets abnormal neurotransmitter levels
• SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)


  Antidepressants used to reduce the anxiety associated with OCD
• SSRI's


  • They are currently the preferred drug for treating OCD
  • They increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which regulates mood and anxiety
  • They work by blocking the re-absorption of serotonin at the pre-synaptic nerve, leaving more serotonin available in the synapse
  • The end result is an increased amount of serotonin available to be taken up by other neurons
• If a deficiency of serotonin is associated with the development of OCD

  Drugs that increase serotonin will prove effective in treating OCD
• It can take three to four months of daily use for SSRI's to have much impact on symptoms
• Anti-Anxiety Drugs (Anxiolytic Drugs)


  Certain anxiolytics are used to treat the anxiety associated with OCD
• Benzodiazepines (BZ's)


  Widely used anxiolytics that work by increasing the effectiveness of a neurochemical called GABA
• GABA


  Has a quietening effect on brain activity and this reduces the anxiety experienced by OCD sufferers