OCD Specialist
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Palo Alto Mind Body
Concierge Psychiatry & Ketamine Therapy Clinic located in Palo Alto, CA
When you have OCD, meaning obsessive-compulsive disorder, your unwanted but unstoppable thoughts and behaviors interfere with your ability to live everyday life. M Rameen Ghorieshi, MD, MPH and colleagues at Palo Alto Mind Body have worked with many patients, helping them overcome obsessions and compulsions with customized treatment, including psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications. For patients that have severe OCD or do not respond well to traditional treatments, low dose IV Ketamine infusions have been shown to effectively and quickly relieve symptoms in these patients. To learn more or schedule an appointment, call the office in Palo Alto, California, or send a confidential email. We also serve many patients located in the surrounding Bay Area, such as South Bay, North Bay, East Bay, Peninsula, San Jose, and San Francisco.
OCD Q & A
What is OCD?
OCD is a type of mental illness where you have obsessive thoughts and urges or compulsive, repetitive behaviors. Some have both. This disorder can make it difficult for you to lead a normal life in everyday situations such as school, work, or personal relationships. Although you may realize that your obsessions are unreasonable, you can’t stop the thoughts or the subsequent actions they trigger.
To be diagnosed with OCD, you typically have obsessions and compulsions that consume more than an hour of your time daily and interfere with school, work, relationships, or other important parts of your life. There are many types of OCD.
What types of obsessions might I develop?
Obsessive thoughts follow common themes, such as a fear of germs or of being harmed. Some people need everything to be in a precise order or symmetrical. You might not be able to shake the thought that you didn’t turn off the stove or forgot to lock the door.
Examples of obsessive OCD include:
- Hoarding
- Placing things in symmetrical order
- Fear of germs
- Ruminative thoughts
Although you may want to stop these thoughts or behaviors and even realize they are illogical, you’re powerless to overcome them.
What types of compulsions might develop?
Compulsions drive you to do something to reduce the anxiety caused by your obsession. Your compulsive behaviors may become rituals that temporarily relieve your anxiety until the next obsessive thought intrudes.
Examples of compulsive OCD include:
- Cleaning to eliminate germs
- Repeating a word or phrase
- Following a specific routine
- Rearranging to be sure everything is precisely in order
- Repeatedly checking to be sure you turned off the stove or locked the door
The obsessions and compulsions of OCD are usually diagnosed by about age 19.
How is OCD treated?
The team at Palo Alto Mind Body treats OCD with psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications. They work with each patient to develop individualized treatment, including choosing the type of psychotherapy that best meets their needs.
Drs. Ghorieshi offers innovative treatment in the form of IV Ketamine infusions that have been shown in clinical studies to be effective in helping patients with OCD. When a low dose of ketamine is administered intravenously, it balances brain chemicals, quickly and effectively taming OCD symptoms.
To learn more about advanced treatment options for OCD, call Palo Alto Mind Body or send a confidential email. Please note, we also serve many patients located in the surrounding Bay Area, such as South Bay, North Bay, East Bay, Peninsula, San Jose, and San Francisco.