A mental health condition known as obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD, has gained more attention over the past couple decades and is now considered more common than once believed. While there are treatments ranging from home remedies to deep brain stimulation, research on the effects of CBD on various parts of the brain believed responsible for the disorder is providing hope for a more natural way to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Age of Diagnosis
OCD affects men and women equally as well as people of all ages, races, and cultures. It is usually identified by parents or teachers of school-aged children between 8 and 12, and then later during the teens and early adulthood. Although infrequent, some people can be diagnosed after the age of 35.
How Many People Have OCD?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 1.2% of adults are affected by OCD within the past year, and currently affects 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the United States. To put these numbers into perspective, that’s the total population of Houston, Texas, or between 2-3 million people.
OCD and Suicide
Although there are various levels of severity of OCD, some people can experience both suicidal thoughts as well as attempts to end their lives. Indeed, OCD must be taken seriously as a potentially fatal disorder. Suicidal thoughts occur in roughly 50% of people with OCD, and suicidal attempts are reported in 25%. Men are more likely to have early onset symptoms and comorbidities including depression, anxiety and substance use.
From an Anxiety Disorder to Its Own Condition
While OCD was once categorized as an anxiety disorder, it now has its own chapter in the latest edition of the DSM, entitled “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders” including the following:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Hoarding disorder
- Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder)
- Excoriation (skin-picking disorder)
- Substance/medication-induced OCD and related disorders
- OCD and related disorders due to a medical condition
- Unspecified OCD and related disorders
Obsessions
Two hallmark symptoms of OCD are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are uncontrollable thoughts, urges or mental images that cause anxiety and are fixations on things like dirt, germs or contamination, unwanted or taboo thoughts about sex, harm, or religion, aggressive thoughts towards others and having things in perfect order or symmetrical.
Compulsions
Compulsions, on the other hand, are repetitive behaviors based on obsessive thoughts. The goal of compulsions is to eliminate or neutralize these pervasive thoughts. Common compulsions include:
- Excessive handwashing
- Excessive cleaning
- Checking and rechecking (for instance, if a door is locked)
- Ordering and arranging things in very specific manners
- Compulsive counting
OCD and Tics
Some people with OCD will develop tics, which are sudden, brief, and repetitive movements or physical experiences. These include eye blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and jerking movements of the head and shoulders. There are also vocal tics, which include repetitive throat clearing, grunting sounds, and sniffing.
Co-Occurring Disorders
OCD can be diagnosed with other troubling and complicating conditions like major depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychotic disorders and a personality disorder called obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Risk Factors
Some people will develop obsessive-compulsive disorder because of their family genetics, especially parents who had symptoms of OCD in their childhood or early teens. Brain function and structure is another risk factor, particularly changes in the frontal cortex and subcortical structures of the brain. People exposed to traumatic events early in life may also be more vulnerable to developing OCD. Child abuse, sexual assault, or violence can be factors.
Traditional Treatments
There are a variety of treatments available to help manage symptoms including:
- Antidepressants and antipsychotic medication
- Learning about the disorder and avoiding triggers
- Counseling and support groups
- Exercise, healthy eating, and effective coping styles
- Stress management (meditation, prayer, yoga, deep breathing)
- Outpatient or inpatient treatment
- Day programs and partial hospitalization
- Deep brain stimulation
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
The point of any of these treatments and others is to minimize the effects of OCD on one’s personal or occupational life. They are meant to manage symptoms and maintain health and well-being.
Research Findings on CBD for OCD: Anti-Anxiety Effects
Scientists have been studying the effects of CBD on OCD for some time, going back to 2004. It was then that researchers in Brazil discovered that CBD decreased OCD-associated stress and anxiety. The anxiolytic or anti-anxiety effects were mediated by action on both the limbic and paralimbic systems of the brain. These areas are responsible for the regulation of emotion, arousal, stimulation, memory, learning and motivation.
Anti-Compulsive Effects
More studies later revealed that CBD also has anti-compulsive qualities as well as the ability to reduce panic and social anxiety, as well as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. While the studies involved mice, scientists believe the same effects can be applied to humans.
The Endocannabinoid System and OCD
CBD can be thought of as the key that unlocks the endocannabinoid system, allowing it to perform a biochemical balancing act with other systems of the body and the brain. Specifically, scientists discovered CBD’s impact via the endocannabinoid system with the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit and it is believed that dysfunction in this circuit is associated with OCD.
Final Thoughts on CBD and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is more common than was once believed and its impact on a person’s life can range between frustrating and inconvenient to thinking about or actually taking one’s life. Seeking professional help and getting the right treatment is critical in maintaining a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. While there are psychological, pharmacological and medical procedures that may help, research has shown good potential with CBD becoming a viable source of treatment for people living with OCD. More time and research will tell.