What is OCD and can Neurostar TMS help?

OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is generally a two part mental disorder involving intrusive thoughts and compulsions. OCD begins with intrusive thoughts. The intrusive thoughts are the “obsession” part of OCD, and can lead one to feel fear, disgust, anxiety, guilt or other distressing emotions. In order to relieve oneself from these distressing feelings, individuals sometimes develop “compulsions.” Compulsions are the part of OCD, which are defined as physical or cognitive behaviors that are performed most often in a ritualistic, routine way in order to relieve oneself from the distressing feelings brought on by the obsessions. These compulsive behaviors tend to relieve the stress or anxiety temporarily and will begin again when the intrusive thoughts enter one’s mind again. The intrusive thoughts or “obsessions” are typically not desired by an individual but they are incapable of controlling them.  Patients therefore end up in a looping pattern, performing their compulsive behavior over and over again due to the repetitive intrusive thoughts. Some patients may also avoid certain situations or scenarios that could trigger their obsessions.

Individuals may obsess over a variety of things, below are some common obsessions:

  • Obsessive fear of contamination from dirt, germs, sticky substances, household cleaners or environmental contaminants.
  • Aggressive Obsession, an individual fears harming themselves or others.
  • Obsessive doubts about daily activities. An individual may obsessively fear not turning off the lights, locking the door or turning off the iron.

FDA Cleared Treatment

Neurostar TMS & OCD

A Proven Non-drug Treatment

TMS is a groundbreaking treatment that uses magnetic technology, similar in strength to an MRI machine, to stimulate underactive brain cells in the mood control center. This magnetic stimulation helps restore certain neurochemicals back to normal levels. The treatment specifically targets the neurocircuitry in the brain which are known to be particularly affected by OCD. TMS for OCD is non-invasive, requires no anesthesia and is an outpatient procedure.

Other symptoms of OCD are as follows:

  • Habits that are repetitive, take a lot of time in the day, and don’t make sense.
  • Counting and/or checking things repeatedly for fear of harm or danger.
  • Arranging things constantly for perfect symmetry for fear of something bad happening if things are not arranged a certain way.
  • Compulsive washing and cleaning for hours a day.
  • Having made up rituals for doing things. Fear that if rituals are not performed, bad things will happen.
  • Having a poor quality of life and severe disability because the compulsive behavior is all consuming.

If you think you might have OCD, the expert staff at TMS of South Tampa is available to answer your questions. Contact the staff today to find out if TMS is right for you and your condition.

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