How can a psychiatrist help treat OCD?
A psychiatrist can help prescribe medications that can help reduce the intensity of obsessions and compulsions in people with OCD. A psychiatrist would also be able to diagnose any other co-morbid mental health disorders that the person may have such as depression or other anxiety disorders and prescribe medications for them too.
What does a psychiatrist do?
A psychiatrist is a professional with medical training as well as training in mental health disorders. A psychiatrist is equipped to assess, diagnose, and prescribe medications for various mental health disorders.
Is psychiatric consultation necessary for treating OCD?
In mild cases of OCD, in which the person is usually able to manage their functionality in different areas of their lives, therapy would be sufficient and the person may not require psychiatric help. However, in cases of moderate to severe OCD wherein the person’s OCD significantly interferes with their day-to-day functionality, as well as when a person is at risk of self-harm or has suicidal ideations, psychiatric consultations become a must. In such cases, psychiatric consultations in addition to therapy are the most effective forms of treatment.
What professionals help in the treatment of OCD other than a psychiatrist?
Therapists, in addition to psychiatrists, help treat OCD by helping the person with OCD decrease their obsessive thinking as well as cope with the distress and anxiety that often leads them to engage in compulsions.
