title: Commonly asked questions in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and often a highly disabling condition that was considered untreatable before the 1960s. The advent of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and exposure and response prevention revolutionized the treatment of OCD. Although they are still the first line treatments for OCD, new treatments like augmentation strategies, brain stimulation techniques, psychosurgery, newer forms of psychotherapy (like cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy) have been added to the armamentarium. With the available treatment strategies, many patients can achieve at least partial remission of symptoms. Nevertheless, the plethora of information gives rise to many questions on their application for practicing clinicians. We provide evidence-based responses to these questions and suggest a broad guideline for treatment of OCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India-560029.
authors.forename: Shyam Sundar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Arumugham
authors.forename: Y C Janardhan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D011612:Psychosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors