Can an Online OCD Test Be Useful, When Psychiatrists Aren't Available?

By John R. Gibbons


OCD tests are a very important part of the diagnosis procedure, this should come ahead of what your friends or family tell you. If you think that someone you know shows the tell-tale signs of OCD its extremely important to get a proper diagnosis from a qualified physician, the symptoms are not usually seen, until the teens as children are eccentric as part of their normal growing up process, so to properly diagnose a child who may be suffering from OCD is extremely difficult. If the thought of going to a professional person may be too expensive then there is another option, you could take an online test.

At home tests.There are going to be a lot of questions asked during an OCD test. Questions about concerns with germs will be there as will questions about keeping things in order. There will also be questions about thoughts that come to mind and regular worries that go on throughout the day. The test will move on to inquire about repetitive acts that are performed, how they make someone feel and if there is a chronic need to do them all the time. It's extremely important to answer all of these truthfully, as incorrect answers can change the results of the test.Doctor's office tests.When at the office of a physician, they will likely give patients a number of different tests. These will help the doctor come to the proper diagnosis so they can rule out other illnesses or disorders that could be a result of the symptoms as well. The physical exam will be much like a regular checkup. The physician will check blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight and listen to the lungs and heart to make sure they are functioning properly.

The first signs generally emerge in childhood, but it is not usually until the teenage years that people become self-aware of the problem. As children often have quite eccentric personalities generally, it is harder to identify those mild cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder amidst regular attention-seeking behaviour. If required, you should start formulating a plan for therapy with a medical professional afterwards if the results indicates a problem may exist.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is one useful technique for dealing with OCD, and is also generally a good first choice for most people as it doesn't require medicine and hence has much fewer risks associated with it. Medicine is also an important treatment technique for many people, but should never be considered for a first treatment option. Generally the kinds of medications that are prescribed for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are powerful anti-depressants and anti-psychotics that can be accompanied by fairly serious side-effects. This is where seeing a licensed mental-health therapist becomes crucial to the recovery process.

Psychotherapy is effective for many people because it retrains the mind to control thought patterns. This also helps diminish compulsive behaviors by gradually exposing the patient to the things they fear the most. There are a lot of different techniques that therapists use with their patients. Sometimes this treatment can be stressful; it varies with each person and their reasons for having the disorder.Other treatment options are available to explore. Residential treatment and psychiatric hospitalization are both options for people who want to be watched by professionals. These put them in a safe environment where they can learn which treatments are best for them. Deep brain stimulation and ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) are other options available as well. Some individuals even try out self-help and home remedies, which can be effective.

There are two possible treatments for autism and OCD-like behaviors: behavioral therapy, and medication. Frequently, these two forms of therapy are prescribed together.The most common kind of medication prescribed for treating OCD behaviors in autistic individuals are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). SSRIs are antidepressant medications that have also shown to be helpful in reducing OCD behaviors. However, they can come with some serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Parents' whose children are on SSRIs should monitor behaviors closely and report anything out of the ordinary to a medical professional.

Obsessions are ideas or thoughts that come into the mind and will not go away. Generally these thoughts are unwanted ideas that most people would never act out on, like hurting a loved one. Most of these thoughts make absolutely no sense and will come at all times during the day and night.Some obsessions are fears, some are sexual and some are aggressive. Some of the most common obsessions include: fear of being touched, thoughts of being in a car accident, images of hurting a loved one, repeating pornographic images, hair pulling and skin lesions from picking at the skin. These have the ability to cause a lot of anxiety for people because they are so persistent and won't seem to go away.

Therefore, before a behavioral therapy is selected to deal with autism and OCD symptoms, an IQ test and/or functional cognitive level test will usually be administered. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) works well for lower functioning children or younger children, and Cognitive Behavioral therapy can show good results for higher functioning, more verbal children with autism.

Some practitioners will administer a self-test of screening questions commonly called a Y-BOCS test to individuals whom they suspect may be suffering from OCD. In addition, mental-health professionals will explore the possibility that the individual's symptoms are caused by another emotional illness instead of or in addition to OCD. A classic example is people with an addiction often have obsessions or compulsions, but those symptom characteristics generally only involve the object of the addiction. The practitioner will also likely ensure that a physical examination and any other appropriate tests have been done recently to explore whether there is any medical problem that could be contributing to the signs or symptoms of OCD.Most individuals with OCD experience some symptoms of the disorder indefinitely, with times of improvement alternating with times of difficulty. However, the prognosis is most favorable for OCD sufferers who have milder symptoms that last for less time and who have no other problems before developing this illness.

While autism and OCD can occur in the same individual, it is much more common for children with autism to simply display behaviors that are similar to those of OCD, but that are in fact a part of their autism symptoms and not a separate case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Nonetheless, it is believed that autism and OCD based repetitive thoughts and behaviors are quite similar in the early stages of development, but become dissimilar over time as they often serve different functions within the two disorders.Dealing with autism and OCD at an early age should be prioritized to ensure that regular childhood and life experiences such as early education occurs more smoothly. The fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms a child with autism has generally, the more positive their educational and life experiences will be.If you believe your child is suffering from OCD contact your doctor to discuss diagnosis and treatment options.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment