If a diagnosis of OCD is made, your family doctor can prescribe antidepressant medications, such as Prozac (Fluoxetine) and Anafranil (Clomipramine) that can help to alleviate OCD symptoms. In more complicated cases, your family doctor can refer you to a psychiatrist, who also provides psychotherapy, or a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing and treating mental-illness.
You can also contact a clinical psychologist for help with evaluating and treating OCD. Clinical psychologists are experts in providing psychotherapy for OCD. A referral from your physician or psychiatrist is not usually necessary to see a clinical psychologist, although they may be able to recommend someone in your community.
Finding a clinical psychologist is often simply a matter of looking in the yellow pages for your area. In addition, the American Psychological Association has a developed an online psychologist locater tool to help you find a clinical psychologist in your area.
If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of OCD, it is essential that you make an appointment to see your family doctor. In some cases, symptoms of OCD can be caused by a medical condition, and it is important that this be ruled out by your physician. Of course, if you or a loved one is in crisis (e.g., suicidal thoughts or intentions, hearing voices, etc.) do not wait for an appointment with a family doctor; go to the nearest emergency room.
Finally, there are a number of additional online resources to help you access the medical and psychological support that you need:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Locating Services: An online tool from the National Institute of Mental Health to help you locate mental health services.
Treatment Providers: An online tool to locate treatment providers specializing in the treatment of OCD from the OCD Foundation.
Support Group Search Tool: An online tool to locate OCD support groups in your area.
OCD Intensive Treatment Programs: A database of comprehensive OCD-intensive treatment programs within North America.
