Sections
Introduction | Psychotherapies | Pharmacotherapy | Combined Behavior Therapy and SRI Pharmacotherapy | Other Somatic Treatments | Guidelines for Treatment | References
Excerpt
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by thoughts, images, or impulses that are often experienced as intrusive and inappropriate (obsessions) and by repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform to lessen their anxiety (compulsions) (Rasmussen and Eisen 1989). For chronic and severe disorders such as OCD, many treatments are attempted. Until recently, OCD was unresponsive to most remedies. Specific psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches, however, now have established efficacy for this condition.