Drug Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Antidepressant drugs that are used to treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) help to reduce obsessions and compulsions. (Fineberg & Craig, 2010; Simpson, 2010) These drugs increase brain serotonin activity but they also help produce more normal brain activity. Studies have shown these antidepressant drugs help improve symptoms for between fifty and eighty percent of those with OCD. (Bareggi et al., 2004)

The obsessions and compulsions usually do not totally disappear, but on average are cut nearly in half within eight weeks of treatment. (Devengh-Geiss et al., 1992) However, people who are treated solely with antidepressant drugs tend to relapse if their medication is stopped.


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