What Treatments Are Effective for OCD?
Clinical studies have shown two treatments to be effective for OCD: behavior therapy and pharmacotherapy (medication). Behavior therapy, specifically behavior therapy that includes exposure with response (ritual) prevention, is the most effective treatment currently available. Studies have demonstrated that 60-75% of those who complete behavior therapy improve substantially and most maintain their gains years later. In behavior therapy, individuals expose themselves gradually (exposure) to the feared object, situation, or thought while refraining from carrying out the usual ritual (response prevention). For example, an individual who fears contaminating and thereby harming others would be asked to touch an object believed to be contaminated (exposure) and then not engage in any washing (response prevention). As treatment progresses, individuals gradually experience less anxiety and fewer urges to ritualize. Medications have proven effective in controlling OCD symptoms. However, many in
