Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a very common form of mental anxiety. It’s a condition that scientists suspect will impact one in every 50 people, or roughly 2% of the population in the United States. OCD is also believed to be a more common disorder than bipolar depression.
Treatments for OCD vary from prescribed medication to more natural remedies. Patients with OCD and OCD-like symptoms are increasingly in favour of naturopathic treatments for their condition. The health and wellness industry has blossomed in recent years as new generations adapt healthier, organic means of living.
As a result, there’s growing demand among OCD patients in using cannabidiol (CBD) oil to discontinue the effects of their conditions. CBD oil has been used to help treat patients with cases of anxiety and depression, providing a template for how it can also combat OCD symptoms. CBD is also available in a wide selection of products that provide easy-to-digest options for people to self-medicate.
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Let’s take a minute to define OCD as a condition. OCD is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a “disorder in which time people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions).”
Focused thoughts and recurring behaviours are normal in most people. We’ve all experienced moments of intense, scrutinous thinking that captures all of our focus, and most people are known to have daily routines or habits between their work and home lives.
However, people with OCD become so obsessed by relentless thoughts and routines that they actually get in the way of daily productivity. Even when patients with OCD recognize that they have compulsive habits, it’s extremely difficult to break those routines and let the obsession go.
What medication is best for OCD?
When doctors suspect a patient is susceptible to OCD, they recommend a diagnostic test to verify the symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, the test is a three-step process involving:
- Psychological evaluation → diagnosis of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to determine if obsessions or compulsions hinder quality of life
- Diagnostic criteria → verification of symptoms as highlighted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Physical exam → an attempt to rule out other causes of the symptoms in order to confirm OCD or another mental disorder
Once an OCD diagnosis is confirmed, patients are referred to psychotherapists for regular talk or behavioural therapeutic treatment. In some cases, when OCD symptoms are severe, doctors will prescribe certain medications to help minimize the effects of OCD. The most common form of medication is an FDA-approved antidepressant in the form of:
- Clomipramine or anafranil for adults and large children
- Fluoxetine or prozac for adults and small children
- Paroxetine or pexeva for adults only
Any medication for OCD should be recommended and prescribed by your primary physician. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed by physicians for patients with diagnosed mental disorders or symptoms of underlying conditions. If experiencing any side effects to the treatment, speak with your doctor about the concerns and discuss alternative methods of combating OCD.
Can CBD oil treat OCD?
One alternative that is worth discussing is CBD oil for OCD. Known for supplementing the endocannabinoid system, CBD oil for OCD helps minimize physical and mental ailments caused by depleted levels of endocannabinoids in human bodies.
Clinical studies have documented how CBD oil improves the quality of life for people living with mental disorders and conditions, particularly in people suffering from severe cases of anxiety. Excessive anxiety is one of the root causes of OCD, leading physicians to suspect that CBD could be of similar therapeutic benefit for people combating obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Over the course of a number of preclinical studies involving CBD and compulsive behaviour models, scientists determined that CBD oil for OCD had a positive effect in minimizing systematic triggers that would result in OCD and OCD-like symptoms. At the conclusion of the study, doctors described systematic CBD doses as an acute treatment for a variety of mental anxiety disorders and, among those conditions, OCD.
CBD dosage for OCD
The ideal amount of CBD oil to take on a daily basis depends on a variety of factors. The severity of OCD, such as how symptoms of the condition interfere with your day to day life, guide physicians on the optimal amount of treatment for the condition.
Always consult with your primary physician to calculate the healthy dosage of CBD oil to treat your symptoms. Doctors will likely recommend the lowest or minimal amount of CBD oil when you first begin treating OCD, and then gradually recommend increasing the dosage as time goes on.
Many people can healthily ingest between 10 to 30 milligrams of CBD oil daily to treat underlying conditions. In some instances, doses can be as high as 100 milligrams or more, depending on the severity of the condition and the size of the patient. People with larger body masses are capable of ingesting greater quantities of CBD oil to treat their conditions.
Again, always keep in touch with your primary physician as you use CBD to treat OCD. If you notice any worsening of symptoms, consult with your doctor on why that may be the case. If there are any other side effects, talk with your doctor about what to do and whether a lower dosage of CBD oil would be a healthy step to continue treating your condition.
Conclusion
Organic remedies like CBD oil are healthy ways to combat conditions like OCD. But any CBD treatment should be prescribed by a doctor and any developments that occur during treatment should be discussed in detail with your physician.
OCD can significantly impact the quality of your life, but CBD can go a long way towards minimizing the effects of the condition. Ensure you live as high quality of a life as you can by speaking to your doctor about CBD oil and testing how it can remedy your symptoms.