1. Understand That the OCD Patient is Not in Control of His Actions
If you have OCD, you probably engage in ritualized behaviors, such as obsessive hand washing, checking doors or light switches multiple times, avoiding certain colors or images or adopting elaborate procedures for seemingly mundane tasks. Those close to you may become annoyed by such behavior, viewing it as foolish or wasteful. They (and you) need to know that you have no control over such behavior. Yes, it is all in your head, and it may seem strange or irrational to those around you. However, if you have OCD, you are literally compelled to engage in it. Patience and understanding from your loved ones can help you deal with the condition while scorn or ridicule might increase your anxiety and make things worse.
2. Learn How OCD Affects the Biochemical Balance of the Brain
Obsessive-compulsive disorder was once thought to be an entirely behavioral condition (created solely through experience), but now most experts believe that biological factors play a large part as well. You should educate yourself about serotonin levels in the brain as well as norepinephrine and similar chemicals. All of them are believed to impact OCD. SSRI antidepressants, such as Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) and Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride), help regulate serotonin, which keeps you on an "even keel" and helps you assert greater control over your activities. Tricyclic antidepressants, such as Anafranil (clomipramine), regulate norepinephrine levels as well.
3. Be Prepared to Cope With OCD for Some Time
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be moderated and overcome, but it takes time and it is rarely an easy process. Much of it entails "rewiring" your brain through slow and difficult therapy, often accompanied by medication and hard work. You can learn to cope with OCD and eliminate its interference in your life--millions of people have done it and success rates of therapy are high, but it's not as simple as taking a shot or a pill. It is a condition, not a disease, which means it will likely be with you in some form or another for most of your life.
4. Understand the Ways That Therapy Can Help
Therapy to treat OCD typically concentrates on a traditional cognitive approach, which involves addressing your obsessive thoughts and seeking ways to resolve them. Often, cognitive therapy will be combined with behavioral therapy, which seeks to trigger your obsessive thoughts in a controlled situation and then help you prevent the ritualistic response in which you usually engage. Both forms of therapy help you assert greater control over you condition and modulate the effects. Family therapy and group therapy may also be helpful in allowing those near you to understand your condition and how it affects their relationships with you.
