OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes persistent distress and anxiety that affect every aspect of daily life. If you’re frustrated by an inability to manage your obsessions and compulsions, contact Acupuncture by Sue in Queens, New York City. Chinese medicine and acupuncture specialist Sue Du, LAc, MS, understands the problems OCD causes and provides safe, effective treatment to help you overcome them. Call Acupuncture by Sue today or use the online booking feature to schedule an OCD evaluation.

What is OCD?

OCD is a distressing psychiatric disorder that can control every aspect of your life. It has two symptoms — obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions are thoughts and images you can’t get out of your head. They’re usually unpleasant and may be frightening, often relating to topics you’d prefer not to think about.

Compulsions develop as a coping mechanism for obsessions. They’re rituals you create that keep you calmer when obsessive thoughts make life unbearably stressful. Common compulsions include:

• Hand washing
• Counting
• Checking
• Flicking switches
• Opening and closing doors
• Arranging things symmetrically
• Fanatical neatness

Compulsive habits must abide by the rules you’ve created to be effective — if you can’t complete the ritual exactly right or something is out of place, it can cause severe anxiety. Obsessions and the compulsions that develop from them can take up a considerable amount of time and energy, are very stressful, and make it impossible to enjoy everyday activities.

What can I do about OCD?

Conventional OCD treatments begin with psychotherapy and medication. Anti-anxiety drugs help to reduce the stress and worry OCD causes. Psychotherapy enables you to identify problems that might have led to OCD’s development and resolve them.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is also highly beneficial for OCD. Your therapist teaches you to spot unhealthy thoughts and mistaken beliefs and consider them logically. You learn to change these unhelpful ideas and moderate your behaviors. Your therapist also teaches you coping skills so compulsions have less of a hold over you.

While medication and therapy may be beneficial, some people may not respond well to them or seek to complement traditional treatment approaches. Acupuncture by Sue offers various alternative therapies that can help with OCD.

Does acupuncture help with OCD?

Acupuncture is highly beneficial for OCD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners believe OCD relates to an imbalance in the energy flow through your kidneys. If your kidneys don’t function properly, your body and mind suffer from excessive stress.

Your body responds to stress by circulating hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This is fine if you need to defend yourself or run away from danger, but continually flooding your body with these powerful substances can have serious adverse effects. Acupuncture helps with OCD because it reduces stress hormone production.

Other complementary therapies such as moxibustion (a form of TCM involving dried mugwort burning on specific areas), yoga, tai chi, and meditation can also be invaluable for conditions like OCD and chronic stress.

Call Acupuncture by Sue to request further information about managing OCD with acupuncture. You can also schedule a consultation by completing the online booking form.