OCD Action

Nimrod
Key Master

I saw on the TV news (BBC 24 hour channel) an item about deep brian stimulation where an electrode was planted in the brain to "cure" a severe type of headache. The surgeon said that this treatment could be used to treat other conditions including OCD but gave no more details in respect of OCD and other conditions. There is a BBC video on the subject - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12013583 - but it is not the same news item I saw and there is no mention of OCD.

If I can find out more I will post it here.

Caps

Fri Dec 17 2010 9:39:56 #
Nimrod
Key Master

This is the news item I saw where it was mentioned that it may be used for OCD - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12014195 -

Caps

Fri Dec 17 2010 10:00:46 #
Tess
Member

I saw this as well and it reminded me of a man who works part time in Bodmin Morrisons. He lost an arm in an accident some years ago and was plagued by unremitting pain - not at the site of the injury or anywhere within his body but actually outside his body where the missing arm should be. He has a small box under the skin of his upper chest below his shoulder and a wire, again inside his skin, going up his neck into his brain which I now recognise as what was shown on the TV last night. It has stopped all his pain and he has to go for an operation every 18 months to replace the batteries but last time we saw him he said they now had a new type of battery which only has to be replaced every 5 years.
I hope the fact that this type of treatment is now being considered for chronic and unresponsive OCD will reassure OCD sufferers that their condition is not something which is "all in the mind" and therefore something over which the misinformed Jo Public (and sadly some in the medical profession) is inclined to feel you should be able to "get over/pull yourself together", but something which is "all in the brain" which is just an organ of the body, the same as the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. and so it is nothing to feel ashamed, embarrassed or guilty about.

Fri Dec 17 2010 10:05:59 #
swan
Member

This was really interesting, thanks for possting it, think I would prefer this to three months in the maudsley.

Sun Dec 19 2010 17:10:40 #
ocdmum
Member

Hi I'm new to this forum.

I have very severe contamination ocd mainly around hiv/germs etc. and have tried most SSRIs, antiphychotics and chlorimipramine to no avail. Also have had psychotherapy, cbt and still no better, in fact I have got steadily worse over the last 5 years. Currently taking paroxetine, which gives me about 5% relief in symptoms.

I am now investigating surgery and it is quite hard to find much info. Not sure it is available in the uk but if anyone knows any info on:

gamma knife
Anterior cingulotomy
Capsulotomy
Limbic leukotomy
Vagus nerve stimulation
Deep brain stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation

I would be grateful.

Thanks
ocdmum

Sat Jan 8 2011 14:20:29 #
Tess
Member

Hi OCDmum
I can't help you on any of this I'm afraid but my heart goes out to you. You say that your OCD has been steadily getting worse over the last 5 years, and in another post that you have a daughter aged 5, so I am assuming your OCD got bad following childbirth. This is exactly what happened to me 40 years ago. Psychosurgery is a last resort option, have you thought about changing your lifestyle to see if that helps before considering surgery. This is what I did, I took up a career because I was just not cut out to be a stay at home mum, it was too lonely and not mentally stimulating enough and my OCD went through the roof. But once I had interesting work to occupy my mind I found the OCD easier to cope with. I don't know your personal situation and this may not apply to you but I thought it worth sharing.

Sat Jan 8 2011 18:44:45 #
ocdmum
Member

Thanks for this. I would like to return to work but unfortunately this has not been possible due to my fears and currently I'm having trouble even leaving the house.
My ocd became really bad 5 years ago after a severe car accident. I was pregnant at the time and feared for my child. My husband only just made it. Ever since I've had a fear of losing my family. Before 5 years ago my ocd was very mild and consisted of checking doors etc which did not cause much of a problem. Currently my ocd is about contamination and particularly blood, hiv, germs.
Thanks for the advice. I hope one day to return to work.
ocdmum

Sat Jan 8 2011 19:06:34 #
Tess
Member

Hi ocdmum
I fully understand. My OCD is about contamination too, I think it started with germs, my husband's job moved and I had to give up mine to move with him and it seemed the right time to start a family. But I found myself pregnant and isolated, living a long way from my own family, not knowing anyone in the new area and I spent a lot of my time reading about childbirth and bringing up a young baby and I must have slowly developed an increasing fear about germs. I eventually became unable to have vistors to our home and the isolation and the fears just got worse and worse until I was unable to function. My marriage deteriorated and eventually fell apart. The turning point was when I went into hospital for the third time, had a long rest and then went into full time work.
I was concerned when I read you are considering psychosurgery because I think you need to think of it as a last resort option and I am sharing my own story in the hope it may help you to think through other options before you make a decision.

Sun Jan 9 2011 9:59:57 #
Tess
Member

Me again
A recent article in Scientific American mentions some of the surgical techniques which ocdmum has listed and discusses new findings in the field of octogenetics which is now being researched as a possible future way of treating mental health disorders. For anyone interested the link is
http://www.scientificamerican.com, search on optogenetics and it is the first article titled Controlling the brain with light.
It's rather complicated and technical but hopefully it might help to dispel some of the guilt and shame felt by OCD sufferers due to public misconceptions that we are somehow to blame for our problems and all we need to do is try harder and pull ourselves together. It also gives hope for more targeted and effective treatments in the future.

Sun Jan 9 2011 11:07:00 #