I want Obsessive-Compulsive treatment from Herbal in India.Is it possible?

Question

I am suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Dissorder from last 10 years.

Answer 1

no cure, no herbal treatment, but there is psychological approach, please read below.

Some common obsessions include:

Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt
Fear of causing harm to oneself or others
Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images
Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
Fear of losing or not having things you might need
Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right.”
Superstitions: excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky
Some common compulsive behaviors are:

excessive double-checking
counting
hand washing
cleaning
ordering/arranging
touching
praying
hoarding


What treatment is available for OCD?
OCD is not usually curable, but it is highly treatable, in that effective treatment can greatly reduce the occurrence of obsessive thoughts and compulsive rituals. A combination of behavior therapy and medication seems to offer the best long-term improvement.

Exposure Treatment and Response Prevention
A type of behavioral therapy called exposure and response prevention is generally the first line of treatment for OCD. In this treatment, you are repeatedly exposed to the source of your obsession. Then you are prevented from engaging in whatever compulsive ritual you use to reduce the anxiety brought about by your obsession. For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing up. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety.

Exposure treatment and response prevention is carefully planned out and controlled, with your therapist at your side to provide support. You will begin with a situation that provokes only a low level of anxiety. Once you’ve been exposed to this situation and have waited out the anxiety without engaging in your compulsion, you will move on to a more challenging situation. Continuing with the previous example, you might progress from touching the bathroom door handle to touching the toilet flush lever or even the toilet seat itself. With each successful exposure and response prevention, you’ll feel a greater sense of control over your obsessions and compulsions. Studies show that exposure and response prevention can actually “retrain” the brain to function differently, permanently reducing the occurrence of OCD symptoms. This type of behavioral therapy can even extinguish compulsive behaviors entirely.

According to the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, 75% of people who complete exposure and response prevention treatment experience improvement of their OCD symptoms.
For more information about this behavioral treatment, read What Is Exposure & Response Prevention? and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Cognitive Therapy
A cognitive component is often combined with the behavioral approach of exposure and response prevention. Cognitive therapy targets the OCD sufferer’s catastrophic thoughts and exaggerated sense of responsibility. According to OCD Action, “Cognitive therapy suggests that OCD results when an individual misinterprets intrusive thoughts or urges as a sign that not only will harm occur, but that they may be responsible for it through what they do or what they fail to do.” Therefore, a central task of therapy is to address these irrational thoughts and challenge them. See Treatments for OCD: Cognitive Therapy for an overview of the cognitive approach and useful treatment tools, including thought records. For more on how OCD leads to biased and unproductive ways of thinking, visit Cognitive Therapy for OCD: What It is, When to Use It and When Not!

To review the main ideas involved in a combined cognitive-behavioral approach to OCD treatment, read OCD-UK’s What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Medication
Antidepressants that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin are the primary drugs used in the treatment of OCD. Antidepressants that affect both norepinephrine and serotonin are also effective. OCD medications can take 10 to 12 weeks to provide full symptom relief, so it’s important to give the drugs a full three month trial. Effective doses for OCD are usually higher than those needed for the treatment of depression. Although medication reduces symptoms in the majority of OCD sufferers, very few experience complete relief. Relapse rates are also high when the drug is discontinued. It is generally recommended that medication be combined with behavior therapy.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) – SSRIs used to treat OCD include Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, and Zoloft. These medications work by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. Common side effects include decreased sex drive, nausea, agitation, and sleepiness. Luvox was the first SSRI approved by the FDA for OCD treatment.
Clomipramine – Clomipramine, also known by the brand name Anafranil, is a tricyclic antidepressant used to treat OCD. It works by inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. According to the University of Pennsylvania, while clomipramine is more effective than the SSRIs in treating OCD, it has more side effects. These include sleepiness, dry mouth, decreased sex drive, constipation, and difficulty urinating. Weight gain can also be a problem.
Visit the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation’s OCD Medication: Adults for a Q&A about dosages, side effects, and treatment success rates. To find additional facts about OCD drugs, including secondary medications used to augment the primary medication, see Treatments for OCD: Medications. For an overview of the pros and cons of treating your OCD with medication, read Anxiety Medications: Benefits and Risks.

Other Treatments for OCD
In addition to traditional behavioral therapy and medication, the following treatments are also used for OCD:

Family Therapy – Because OCD often causes problems in family life and social adjustment, family therapy is often advised. Family therapy promotes understanding of the disorder and can help reduce family conflicts. It can also motivate family members and teach them how to help their loved one.
Group Therapy – Group therapy is another helpful adjunct to individual therapy. Through interaction with fellow OCD sufferers, group therapy provides support and encouragement and decreases feelings of isolation.
Herbal Treatments – Certain herbal supplements such as kava, valerian, ginkgo biloba, and St. John’s Wort may be beneficial for mild cases of OCD. However, the effectiveness of these alternative OCD remedies has not yet been rigorously tested.
Psychosurgery – For severe, crippling cases of OCD that have not responded to medication or behavioral therapy, psychosurgery is a possibility. Cingulotomy is the most common technique used. This surgery involves removing a section of the brain called the cingulate cortex. Approximately 25-30% of people who undergo psychosurgery experience substantial improvement in their condition. However, this is a last-resort OCD treatment that is only considered after all other treatment possibilities have been exhausted. Psychosurgery also comes with the risk of serious side effects including seizures and personality changes.
See Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment and Treatment Options for OCD for more details, including strategies for treatment-resistant OCD. For questions to ask a potential therapist and a guide to finding professional help, read How to Choose a Therapist.

What self-help tips can help me cope with OCD?
If you have OCD, you can help yourself in many ways. Educating yourself about the disorder is a vital first step. It’s also important to practice the cognitive-behavioral techniques you’ve learned from therapy on your own. Renowned OCD researcher Jeffrey Schwartz emphasizes the importance of self-treatment on a day-to-day basis. Visit The Four Steps to learn about his techniques for managing your responses to OCD. For more self-help skills you can practice on your own, read What to Do During Obsessing and Stopping Your Compulsions.

Self-Help Strategies for OCD
Educate yourself.
Learn everything you can about OCD. Read books on the disorder and talk to your therapist and doctor. The more you know, the better able you will be to manage your symptoms. You can find many books about OCD at local or online bookstores.

Practice the skills you’ve learned in therapy.
Using the skills you’ve learned in therapy, actively work toward eliminating your obsessions and compulsive behaviors. This is a challenge that requires commitment and daily practice.

Stay connected to family and friends.
Obsessions and compulsions can consume your life to the point of social isolation. In turn, social isolation can aggravate your OCD. It’s important to have a network of family and friends you can turn to for help and support. Involving others in your treatment can help guard against setbacks and keep you motivated.

Practice relaxation techniques.
Meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other stress relief techniques may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety brought on by OCD. A form of meditation known as mindfulness may be particularly helpful to OCD sufferers. Read Stress Relief: Yoga, Meditation, and Other Relaxation Techniques to learn more.

Join a support group.
You’re not alone in your struggle with OCD, and participating in a support group is an effective reminder of that. In a support group, you can share your experience and learn from others who are going through the same thing you are. Visit Search for a Support Group to locate OCD support groups in your area.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/obsessive_compulsive_disorder_ocd.htm

Answer 2

Firstly can I just say that to look for a herbal or homoeopathic treatment for OCD would be a big mistake.. If you were looking for a "treatment" in "alternative remedy's" then you would have to look much further than treatment for this disorder. You would have to go much further back to find the reason you have been suffering from OCD.. I do understand why you feel that "alternative" treatments may be available in India... Please let me tell you, many of those treatments are available in the UK, and have been for several years. I did an India Head Massage course at college in 2001. All that time ago!!! Following that I did a body massage course, followed by an aromatherapy massage course.. Please bear with me if I ask you why it appears you have not, from what you say, changed, or looked into changing you medication since 1994.. Sorry if I got that wrong.. That's just how it sounds... Could you please tell me just what PAROXETINE is... It makes me feel so angry to think that your doctor or consultant has never thought to offer you a change of medication.. I have to say to you my friend, I really don't think a herbal or homepoathic treatment would be beneficial for you at the moment.. Once you have found the source, the reasons you suffer from OCD. Then that may be the time to look for a "healing" remedy from an alternative source.. For now, I think you should see your GP now and explain that your medication is not helping you any more. (If that is the case).. I have been on many different antidepressants, but I do not know Paroxetine.... Could you find out just what that drug is?? Check on the description .... Does it indicate FLUOXETINE HYDROCHLORIDE ???? Does it belong to the SSRi group ??? For you to have been on the same medication for all those years, especially now when you feel as if you are gaining nothing from this drug, seems totally wrong. In fact I find it hard to believe your doctor has never discussed a change of medication since you feel that you as you do... I would like to help more, but you would have to explain a little more..