LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, more commonly referred to as OCD, is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder that affects approximately 3% of the population.
Characterized by unwanted, pervasive thoughts and accompanying ritual behavior, OCD brings about great anxiety and distress when not properly diagnosed and treated right away.
OCD doesn’t go away on its own and has no cure. But even as sufferers of OCD are plagued by uncontrollable repetitive impulses and behaviors that control their lives, there are many available management options today, including therapy and medication.
OCDTest.com, created by a team of professionals dedicated to helping people with OCD find effective treatment for their condition. In addition to a compilation of helpful and informative resources, the site has a free online diagnostic tool available to help the millions of sufferers identifying the condition early.
“Recognizing there are few options online for people around the world to get help for OCD, we wanted to provide a solution for people to understand if the condition is present in their lives,” says the team from OCDTest.com.
According to the International OCD Foundation, the average time someone with OCD to get treatment is seven to ten years. “Our goal is to shorten that time by helping people understand that they have the condition and provide education so they will get treatment sooner.”
The free online diagnostic tool on OCDTest.com was designed to “support as many people as possible, from as many countries as possible,” with the express goal of identifying Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder at the earliest opportunity, while providing a better understanding of this condition, and helping individuals find effective OCD treatment.
Unlike most other websites offering free OCD test, OCDTest.com utilizes the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the gold standard test utilized by OCD specialists.
Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder are thus able to utilize the same test an OCD therapist would without going to an OCD treatment center.
The team from OCDTest.com stresses, however, that in order to get a true OCD diagnosis, it is recommended seeing a properly accredited medical doctor, psychiatrist or OCD specialist.
“For those of you that just found out you have OCD, never forget that this condition is treatable. You don’t have to live in anxiety, fear, doubt, or shame.”
In addition to the free online diagnostic tool, OCDTest.com has useful guides, a blog with helpful articles, a directory of treatment centers and OCD advocates, and other quality resources.
“We recognize that there are still some nations and countries that don’t have local resources. We have done and continue to do all that we can to help support these individuals in finding the help that they need.”
Understanding OCD
In a 2018 study by the World Health Organization, obsessive-compulsive disorder has become the fourth most common psychiatric condition and the 10th leading cause of disability around the world.
Due to a lack of awareness and access to proper treatment and support, however, it still takes the average person 7 to 10 years between onset of symptoms and being able to access effective treatment.
People afflicted with OCD are caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted, and pervasive thoughts, triggering fear, doubt, and anxiety in sufferers. The compulsions are a need to find relief from the discomfort and distress brought about by the obsessions.
Relief, however, is only temporary, as sufferers go through the obsessions once more, and so the compulsions, unfortunately, serve to reinforce and strengthen the original obsessions. Those afflicted with OCD soon find that they can’t ignore, think, or will their way out of these repetitive thoughts and behaviors that control their lives.
With obsessions and compulsions feeding off and reinforcing each other, OCD thus becomes a vicious cycle.
This is why most treatment goals for OCD are focused towards breaking this cycle– retraining the brain to help control the symptoms and increase mindfulness with the least amount of medication possible.
Getting treatment as early as possible is the best course of action for anyone suffering from OCD. A holistic approach is also greatly encouraged, setting up patients for success by eating healthy food, exercising, and getting enough sleep, and giving as much emotional support as possible through family, friends, and people who understand OCD.
About us:
OCDTest.com provides unbiased and informative resources to help educate about OCD. Our free tool can guide you through the process of identifying OCD treatment. For further information, please visit: https://ocdtest.com
SOURCE OCDTest.com