OCD Treatment: Is Medication Necessary?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental illness. Fortunately, it is a treatable one. How is it treated? Therapy? Medications? Both? Is medication even necessary? In the end, OCD treatment really depends on the person.

There are a number of ways to treat OCD. The two most common ones are therapy and medication Mayo Clinic, (2023). Most therapy includes some form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure response therapy (ERP), though some other forms of psychotherapy may also be used (International OCD Foundation, n.d.). Where these “first line” treatments are not successful, professionals may also suggest intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, deep brain stimulation (DBS), or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). While these latter two treatments do not use medication, they are intensive medical procedures. Patients cannot typically access these more invasive medical treatments without first trying therapy and medication to treat OCD.

Therapy and medication are often prescribed together. This is because therapy and medication “are considered the ‘first-line’ treatments for OCD” (International OCD Foundation, n.d.). Most of the time this mixed method is effective for OCD treatment (Mayo Clinic, 2023). Medication can help reduce the symptoms of OCD while individuals engage in therapy to target the root cause of the OCD that keeps the obsession and compulsion cycle going (Quinlan, n.d.). Medication can also help individuals feel more comfortable while they engage in the hard work of therapy.

Can individuals seek psychotherapy for OCD without also using medication? Certainly! This may make the path to recovery harder, however. It may take longer for symptoms to reduce (Brzozauskaite, 2022). The time frame for disorder remission may be extended (Lazarus, 2021). Choosing not to take medication is a personal choice for an individual to make in an informed manner.

What is the “right” treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD then? Well, it depends on the frequency, intensity, and duration of symptoms, along with personal choice. Individuals can choose to embrace therapy alone for treatment, or they may choose therapy and medication. At some point, individuals may pursue alternative methods of treatment. The choice really lies with the person as he or she pursues a healthy life, whatever that means and looks like to that person.