Treating OCD with Herbs
There are many natural recipes that may help treat OCD or alleviate its symptoms.
Let's learn more about how to treat OCD with herbs and some natural recipes that can help you live with OCD and fight it:
Treating OCD with herbs
Here is a list of the most important herbal OCD treatments that may help alleviate OCD symptoms:
1. St. John's Wort
St. John's wort is one of the most popular herbal OCD treatments.
This herb contains chemical compounds that have antidepressant properties and may also be effective as an alternative treatment for OCD.
A small study found that St. John's wort was effective in relieving OCD symptoms.
Another study conducted on a larger scale found that using St. John's wort to treat OCD had a significant effect on relieving OCD symptoms similar to that of some medications commonly used to treat this type of condition.
However, scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of St. John's wort in treating OCD is limited and insufficient.
2. Borage
Borage is one type of herb that studies are beginning to show is potentially effective in treating OCD.
This herb contains chemical compounds that may interact favourably with an important neurotransmitter in people with OCD.
One study found that taking an extract of this herb on a regular basis for 4-6 weeks helped relieve symptoms of OCD and anxiety in the study group.
3. Milk Thistle
Artichoke may have an effective effect when it comes to relieving OCD symptoms, which is one way to treat OCD with herbs.
One study found that artichoke has an effect similar to that of fluoxetine, a medication used to treat depression and OCD, both of which are able to keep OCD symptoms under control.
4. Kava
Kava, or poisoned pepper, is a plant from the pepper family and is commonly used in some countries to treat some psychological and neurological issues, such as insomnia and anxiety.
Some studies have found that kava contains chemical compounds that may help target specific neurotransmitters in the body to alleviate the symptoms of certain neuropsychiatric conditions.
These neurotransmitters are the same neurotransmitters that are targeted by medications for these types of conditions.
However, it is important to note that this particular type of herb may cause serious complications for the patient, especially if used for prolonged periods of time without medical supervision, such as liver toxicity, motor difficulties, and dizziness.
Treating OCD with medical methods
Apart from treating OCD with herbs, there are several different treatment methods that a doctor may use to treat and alleviate the symptoms of OCD.
Here are some of the options available:
1. Exposure Therapy
This type of therapy is based on putting the patient face to face with his fears gradually and in doses that are increased at a pace that varies from patient to patient, taking into account starting with things that may be less frightening to the patient and moving to more frightening things as the therapy sessions progress.
During the therapy sessions, the patient is asked to try not to show the reactions they usually show to these fears, and the clinician is careful not to force the patient to do anything they don't want to do.
2. Imaginal Exposure Therapy
If a person with OCD is unable to face their fears in real life, as in the above-mentioned type of therapy, it is possible to try to make them face an imaginary version of their fears.
The therapist will draw a movie script during the therapy session to help stimulate the person's imagination and make them face their fears virtually.
3. Imaginal Exposure Therapy
This type of OCD treatment focusses on making the patient more alert to certain false messages that the brain may send in certain situations that may trigger anxiety and fear and trying to convince the mind that these messages are wrong.
For example, if an OCD sufferer is faced with a situation in which a loved one unintentionally ignores them, their brain may start sending erroneous neural messages to misinterpret the situation as wilful disregard or dislike.
Cognitive therapy teaches the sufferer to try to counteract these messages and interpret what happened in a more rational way.