how to treat OCD

Question 1

what are SSRI’s and examples

Answer 1

SSRI’s are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
setraline, prozac (fluoextine)
often prescribed to people suffering with OCD

Question 2

How do the SSRI drugs work
(recall synaptic transmission)

Answer 2

• these drugs inhibit the process of of the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic membrane
  this means that the neurotransmitter remains present in the synaptic cleft , there is more serotonin therefore there is a higher chance of serotonin neurotransmitter being revieved by the post synaptic receptors and a signal being transmitted

Question 3

supporting evidence for drugs treating OCD

Answer 3

• Soomro (2009) et al
  reviewed 17 studies into drug treatment via meta analysis with a total of 3,000 pps combined for the treatment of OCD
  They found that SSRI’s were more effective than the placebo drug and the drug has reduced OCD symptoms 6-13 weeks after starting the treatment

Question 4

What are the positive to drug treatments than to cognitive treatments such a cognitive behavourial therapy ?

Answer 4

• drug treatments are less demanding as they do not require motivation or commitment to sessions(therefore may not be suitable for a majority of patients) therefore drug treatments can be argued to be better in this regard
  and they work quicker than CBT

Question 5

What are the limitation of using drug treatment to treat OCD

Answer 5

• there are often treating the symptoms rather than the cause
• just because an individual ahs lower levels of serotonin this may be not be CAUSE of OCD rather a symptom, there could be other broader factors involved that may be the real cause

eg Cromer at al (2007) found that 50% of patients with OCD in their sample also had a traumatic past - (could be a cause)

while drug treatments are beneficial for treating the symptoms of OCD it may be argued that they are limited and temporary forms of treament

Question 6

What are the further limitations of drug treatments to treat OCD?

Answer 6

• Although Soomro et al (2009) found that the SSRI was more effective than the placebo drug they also found many side effects , nausea, headache and insominia - this illustrates that biological treatments for OCD contrast negatively to other treatments such as CBT which do not come with these experience, it could therefore be argued that CBT may be a more positive form of treatment for patients as they do not experience the side effects of drug treaments

Question 7

CBT can be argued to be..

Answer 7

a more empowering form of treatment for the patient in contrast to biological drug treatments as patients taking drug treatments are more passive in the processes whilst CBT has patients actively working to challenge and change their thoughts, this can be seen as very helpful as it gives patients the opportunity to feel like they have control over their ocd which they may not feel whilst using drug treatments alone