Biological Treatments of OCD 16 marks
The biological treatment for OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) is drug therapies. These
drugs are groups of antidepressants such as SSRIs. SSRIs are selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors and act in the limbic pathways in the brain. They inhibit reuptake by the
presynaptic neuron in order to increase the concentration of serotonin in the brain to
relieve some of the symptoms of OCD. These SSRI’s were introduced in the 1980s with one
example being Fluoxetine. However, SSRI’s are not always effective and in the 1990s SNRI’s
were introduced as an alternative. Although it is not entirely understood why these work in
the place of SSRI’s they do work on both serotonin and noradrenaline in the limbic
pathways. The success of these drug therapies shows that OCD has a biological element.
One limitation of these drug therapies in treating OCD is that they are criticised for treating
the symptoms but not OCD itself. This can be seen in the fact that 80% of people who take
drug treatments for OCD relapse back into old behaviours. This shows that drug treatments
are only a short-term solution to the problem and that other alternative treatments must be
considered.
Still, a strength of the biological treatments for OCD is that it is supported by research
evidence. Soomro conducted a meta-analysis of 17 studies and found that drug treatments
were more effective than a placebo in treating OCD. This shows that antidepressants are a
reliable form of treatment and provide a legitimate option for those struggling with the
disorder.
However, a combination of treatments may be more effective in treating OCD due to the
fact that the disorder doesn’t have only biological causes. This can be seen by the fact that
Cromer found over half of his patients with OCD had experienced a traumatic event. This
could suggest that talking therapies such as CBT may be more effective in dealing with the
causes of the disorder and that perhaps a combination of treatments would be the most
effective treatment plan.
A limitation of SSRI’s specifically is that they can have severe side effects. Allowing too much
serotonin in the synaptic cleft can lead to serotonin syndrome which if left untreated can
quickly result in death. This demonstrates the serious risks of drug treatments and perhaps
there may be a safer alternative that needs to be explored.
The biological treatment for OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) is drug therapies. These
drugs are groups of antidepressants such as SSRIs. SSRIs are selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors and act in the limbic pathways in the brain. They inhibit reuptake by the
presynaptic neuron in order to increase the concentration of serotonin in the brain to
relieve some of the symptoms of OCD. These SSRI’s were introduced in the 1980s with one
example being Fluoxetine. However, SSRI’s are not always effective and in the 1990s SNRI’s
were introduced as an alternative. Although it is not entirely understood why these work in
the place of SSRI’s they do work on both serotonin and noradrenaline in the limbic
pathways. The success of these drug therapies shows that OCD has a biological element.
One limitation of these drug therapies in treating OCD is that they are criticised for treating
the symptoms but not OCD itself. This can be seen in the fact that 80% of people who take
drug treatments for OCD relapse back into old behaviours. This shows that drug treatments
are only a short-term solution to the problem and that other alternative treatments must be
considered.
Still, a strength of the biological treatments for OCD is that it is supported by research
evidence. Soomro conducted a meta-analysis of 17 studies and found that drug treatments
were more effective than a placebo in treating OCD. This shows that antidepressants are a
reliable form of treatment and provide a legitimate option for those struggling with the
disorder.
However, a combination of treatments may be more effective in treating OCD due to the
fact that the disorder doesn’t have only biological causes. This can be seen by the fact that
Cromer found over half of his patients with OCD had experienced a traumatic event. This
could suggest that talking therapies such as CBT may be more effective in dealing with the
causes of the disorder and that perhaps a combination of treatments would be the most
effective treatment plan.
A limitation of SSRI’s specifically is that they can have severe side effects. Allowing too much
serotonin in the synaptic cleft can lead to serotonin syndrome which if left untreated can
quickly result in death. This demonstrates the serious risks of drug treatments and perhaps
there may be a safer alternative that needs to be explored.
