OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) Treatment | Agan Health, Bengaluru & Trichy

What is OCD?

OCD is a chronic mental health condition where individuals experience:

Obsessions

Persistent, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (e.g., fear of germs, doubts, taboo thoughts).

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental rituals performed to reduce anxiety or prevent feared events (e.g., excessive washing, checking, counting, repeating).

These cycles often provide short-term relief but reinforce the disorder, making it harder to resist over time.

Ways We Treat Mood Disorders

Common Themes in OCD

Contamination & Cleaning

Fear of germs or dirt; repeated handwashing, cleaning.

Checking

Repeatedly checking locks, appliances, or safety.

Symmetry & Ordering

Need for things to be “just right” or symmetrical.

Intrusive Thoughts

Unwanted violent, sexual, or blasphemous thoughts; intense guilt or fear.

Hoarding

Difficulty discarding items, even when they have little value.

Mental Rituals

Silent prayers, repeating words, or counting to neutralize thoughts.

OCD Across Life Stages & Demographics

Children & Teens

OCD often begins in childhood. Kids may show rituals (repeated washing, checking homework, bedtime routines) or report “bad thoughts” they can’t control. Often mistaken for habits or quirks.

Young Adults

Symptoms peak in late adolescence/early adulthood. Academic and career performance can suffer due to time-consuming rituals.

Women

May experience symptom worsening during pregnancy or postpartum due to hormonal and emotional changes (“postpartum OCD”).

Men

Earlier onset is more common in men (childhood/teen years). Often present with more “checking” or “symmetry” compulsions.

Older Adults

Symptoms may worsen with isolation, grief, or comorbid medical issues. Sometimes underdiagnosed as “personality quirks.”

Clinical Understanding of OCD

Prevalence

Affects about 2–3% of the population worldwide.

Onset

Usually before age 25; one-third of cases begin in childhood.

Course

Chronic if untreated, but symptoms wax and wane.

Comorbidities

Depression, generalized anxiety, tic disorders, and sometimes eating disorders.

Neurobiology

Linked with dysfunction in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit; serotonin imbalances are implicated.

General Anxiety Across Life Stages & Demographics

Children & Teens

Excessive worry about school or family safety, irritability, stomachaches/headaches. Sometimes mistaken for shyness or defiance.

Young Adults

Academic and career stress, financial pressure, or identity struggles. Often leads to burnout or avoidance.

Women

Higher prevalence due to hormonal and social factors; can overlap with depression or PMDD.

Men

May present as irritability, anger, or overworking instead of describing “worry.” Stigma often delays treatment.

Older Adults

Worries about health, safety, or independence; symptoms may overlap with medical conditions.

Workplace & Students

Perfectionism, performance anxiety, and fear of failure that harm productivity, sleep, and relationships.

How Agan Health Helps

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Gold-standard therapy for OCD.
Gradual exposure to feared thoughts/situations while resisting compulsions.
Reduces anxiety and breaks the cycle of reinforcement.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Works alongside ERP to challenge distorted beliefs (e.g., “If I don’t check, something bad will happen”).
Improves coping and flexibility.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Teaches patients to accept intrusive thoughts without acting on them, reducing their power.

SSRIs (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram)

First-line pharmacological treatment. Often used in higher doses than for depression/anxiety.

Clomipramine

Highly effective but with more side effects; used when SSRIs don’t work.

Augmentation strategies (Antipsychotics)

Risperidone or aripiprazole may be added in treatment-resistant OCD.

Routine building

Helps manage time lost to rituals.

Stress management

Stress worsens OCD symptoms. Relaxation and mindfulness are effective adjuncts.

Family involvement

Psychoeducation helps families reduce “accommodation” (participating in rituals or reassuring).

Treatment Journey at Agan

Assessment & Diagnosis

Rule out related conditions and map obsessions/compulsions.

Therapy First

ERP-based CBT as core treatment.

Medication

SSRIs or clomipramine, carefully monitored.

Family Support

Guidance to reduce reinforcement of compulsions.

Progress Tracking

Using tools like Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale).

Relapse Prevention

Skills for long-term management.

Why Choose Agan Health?

15+ years of experience in OCD care

ERP-trained psychologists and psychiatrists

Combination of therapy + medication where necessary

In-person (Bengaluru & Trichy) and online options

Over 5,000 sessions delivered; 95% clients report better quality of life

10,000+

sessions delivered across Bengaluru, Trichy, and online

95%

of clients report improved well-being

FAQ’s

Everyone has unwanted thoughts, but in OCD they are persistent, distressing, and hard to ignore, often leading to compulsions.

No. Compulsions only reduce anxiety temporarily; they don’t change outcomes. Over time, they strengthen OCD’s cycle.

While there isn’t a “cure,” ERP + SSRIs lead to lasting improvement in most people. Many achieve full recovery or long-term remission.

Not always. Many improve with ERP alone, but medication helps in moderate-to-severe or resistant cases.

Intrusive thoughts do not reflect who you are. They are symptoms of OCD, not personal flaws.

OCD can feel overwhelming, but recovery is possible. With the right therapy and support, you can break free from

Agan Health is a psychological wellness and mental healthcare centre functioning to help children, adults, women, and the elderly suffering from psychological conditions like anxiety, depression, stress, ADHD and others to break their mental shackles and reinstate them into society.

Bengaluru

BDA complex, 717/1, 16th Main, 6th B Cross Rd, above Child Central Clinic, 3rd Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560034

Mobile - 8068301212

Trichy

#9-A, EVR Road, Aruna Nagar, Puthur, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620017

Mobile - 7810073585

Professional Care, Personal Change

10,000+ Sessions Completed!

Proactive Care, Lasting Health

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What is OCD?

Ways We Treat Mood Disorders

Common Themes in OCD

OCD Across Life Stages & Demographics

Clinical Understanding of OCD