An estimated 2.2 million adults in the United States have obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD. That’s 1% of the population. It often begins in childhood or as a young adult though, with 19 years old being the average age of onset. In fact, a third of all adult OCD cases began in childhood; almost a quarter of them occurred by 14 years of age.
Mindful Health Solutions, formerly TMS Health Solutions, is a clinic specializing in innovative psychiatric services. They offer a non-invasive treatment for OCD, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). It has been more than ten years since the FDA cleared an OCD therapy, but TMS has, and it is doing wonders for patients who have the disorder.
What is OCD?
Obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD, is a psychiatric disorder that is marked by unwanted ideas, thoughts, and sensations that are recurring and unrelenting that compel them to perform an action or behavior repetitively. The recurring thoughts are the obsessive part of the disorder while the compulsion to do something repetitively.
While most people do have thoughts that are distressing or display repetitive behaviors, they do not interfere with daily life. When obsession and compulsion encroach on how a person lives, works and interacts with the people in their life, it can be a problem.
The rigidity of the thoughts and behaviors are what takes an activity to the extreme. For instance, hand washing is a good, healthy habit. Healthcare professionals recommend washing your hands frequently to reduce the risk of catching colds or flu. The person with OCD though will take hand washing to the extreme, engaging in the activity multiple times a day, until their skin is raw.
Now all OCD patients compulsively wash their hands. Some have a ritual for making sure all the doors and windows are locked while others may have to tap something a certain number of times before speaking or turn a lock a certain number of times before deciding it is sufficiently locked.
OCD can present in many different ways, but the one thing that is consistent across the board is the torment those with the disorder must endure. Not doing the activity or behavior does not work though because it only increases their anxiety and induces panic attacks. It affects social functioning, relationships, every aspect of the person’s life.
TMS Therapy for OCD
TMS stimulates specific areas of the brain using magnetic pulses. In conditions like OCD and depression, those areas are dysregulated. A treatment course typically covers four to six weeks with 25 to 36 sessions lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Each treatment course is tailored to the individual, creating a personalized treatment plan that is agreed upon by you and your doctor.
During the session, the patient sits in a TMS chair in a reclining position. A magnet (insulated coil) is placed externally over a certain area of the brain. When the procedure begins, magnetic pulses are delivered to that area. The entire process is observed by a technician who is certified in TMS.
What makes TMS different from other procedures like electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is that the individual having the procedure is fully awake the entire time. There is no need for anesthesia, and it does not impair memory. It is safe to resume normal activities, even driving, immediately after the treatment.
About Mindful Health Solutions
Mindful Health Solutions is an industry leader in evidence based treatments for psychiatric disorders as well as TMS. The company prides itself in its patient centric care with an emphasis on innovation. While operating as both an academic research institution and a cutting edge clinic with groundbreaking treatments and therapies, Mindful Health Solutions has positioned itself to be a premier healthcare provider in psychiatric services and pain management.
The goal of the company is to redefine the psychiatric outpatient experience. This means incorporating innovative treatments with compassionate care to provide great outcomes. Schedule a consultation to learn more and see the scientific proof for yourself.
Are you in the Los Angeles area and asking, “Is there a psychiatrist near me?”Mindful Health Solutions is committed to exceptional patient care for psychiatric services including depression and OCD. Call today and make an appointment with one of our caring, knowledgeable psychiatrists and find out if TMS is the right solution for you.
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