where
to get help for obsessive compulsive disorder
If
you have OCD, or a family member or friend suffers
from this disorder, there is much that can be done to help,
particularly since effective treatment is now available. Family
and friends can be a source of support, but the ultimate decision
to see a medical professional is up to the individual person.
A family doctor can prescribe medication and/or refer to a qualified
specialist who has experience in treating this disorder. A psychiatrist
can also prescribe the appropriate medication. It is important
to make an accurate diagnosis of OCD, because only a specific
group of drugs – i.e. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors –
are effective in this condition. The recent finding that people
with OCD respond to this particular group of drugs, which have
a specific effect on the activity of serotonin in the brain,
has altered the picture considerably. Some psychologists are
trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and this is also
an effective form of treatment.
For
more information about OCD or any other mental health issue
contact the Mental Health Information Centre of South Africa
tel +27 21 938-9229. You can also ask your GP for a copy of
the OCD chapter in the False Alarm! How to conquer the Anxiety
Disorders patient guide.
Further resources / references
Obsessive-Compulsive Association of SA
PO Box 87127, Houghton, 2041
Tel: 011 786-7030 / Fax: 011 786-5866 / E-mail: pserebro@iafrica.com
Depression
& Anxiety Support Group of SA
PO Box 652548, Benmore, 2010
Tel: 011 783 1474/6 / Fax: 011 884 7074
Books
about OCD
Anxiety
and its Treatment: Help is Available. John H. Greist, James
W. Jefferson and Isaac M Marks. Warner Books, 1998.
Brain
Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior. Jeffrey
M. Schwartz and Beverley Beyette. HarperCollins, 1997.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing. Judith L. Rapoport.
Geffen Books, 1999.
Getting Control: Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions.
Lee Baer and Judith Rapoport. Plume, 1992.
Over and Over Again: Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Fugen Neziroglu and Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias. Jossey-Bass, 1997.
Stop Obsessing! How to Overcome your Obsessions and Compulsions.
Edna Foa and Reid Wilson. Bantam Books, 1991.
When Once is Not Enough: Help for Obsessive-Compulsives. Gail
Steketee and Kerrin White. New Harbinger Publications, 1990.
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