Biological Therapies for OCD: Chemotherapy

Biological therapies aim to address a biochemical imbalance that has caused the psychopathology. Such therapies aim to alter abnormal behaviours by directly intervening with bodily processes. 

Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy): Anti-depressants are actually effective in reducing anxiety and the two most commonly used for OCD are tricyclics and Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). 

Tricyclics increase the availability of noradrenaline and serotonin and research findings on their effectiveness are not consistent. Pato et al suggest that they are only effective for patients who have comorbid depression, regardless of this benefits from this treatment are short term only. 

SSRIs increase the availability of serotonin levels and they seem to be more effective in producing relief from symptoms in comparison to tricyclics or a placebo. About 50-70% of OCD patients have reported their symptoms subsiding in comparison to only 5% showing…