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This diagnosis will help put the patient on the right path to proper treatment. Given that some individuals with OCD also can benefit from treatment with drugs (including a number of anti-depressants), physicians can often be an important part of the team treating an individual with OCD.
An individual is perhaps somewhat more aware that their problem is psychological -- perhaps because she or he has a relative who has been diagnosed, which is entirely likely given that OCD has a genetic component -- might go to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a diagnosis (Abramowitz, 2009, p. 29). Locally, there are good resources for an individual seeking a diagnosis from a mental health professional. One good option is through the Alberta Mental Health Board. The Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton offers outpatient psychiatric assessment and treatment, including treatment specifically aimed at individuals with OCD (http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services.asp?pid=saf&rid=4528 So, for example, a person who has obsessions and compulsions about cleanliness might be asked by a therapist or psychologist to get dirt on his or her hands and then not to wash them for thirty seconds. This will cause the individual's anxiety to rise, but after practicing this for a few times, the anxiety will begin to lessen. The client can then practice this exercise for one minute, and so forth.
The Centennial Centre in Ponoka is also a good choice for an individual seeking treatment for OCD given that its staff has substantial experience in treating a range of mental illnesses. The centre focuses more on brain injuries than on mental illnesses such as OCD; however, it offers treatment for all conditions and specializes in treating individuals with diagnoses of more than one condition.
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services.asp?pid=saf&rid=4528
As noted above, individuals with OCD often have other mental illnesses such as depression and so would benefit from a joint-diagnosis approach.
The most effective treatment for OCD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy supplemented with a technique called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Many clinics and individual mental health professionals offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT), but it is most useful for an individual with OCD to find a mental health professional who has specific experience using CBT with individuals with OCD. It is especially helpful if the professional has experience with ERP (Canadian Mental Health Association, http://www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca/mentalhealth/Types_of_Mental_Illness/OCD.aspx).
There are psychologists in the region who have experience with these techniques (including Dr. Betty Stevens-Guille and Naznin Virani in Edmonton and nearly a dozen psychologists in Calgary (listed at http://therapists.psychologytoday.com
/rms/prof_results.php?city=Calgary&state=AB&spec=15
http://www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca/mentalhealth/Types_of_Mental_Illness/OCD.aspx http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_results.php?city=Calgary&state=AB&spec=15
also offers a range of educational and referral services for individuals in Alberta seeking treatment for OCD.
Residents of Alberta seeking treatment for OCD have a number of good options for their condition -- treatment that will in almost every case significantly improve their lives.
References
Abramowitz, J. (2009). Getting over OCD: A 10 -step workbook for taking back your life. New York: Guilford Pres
Alberta Health Services, retrieved 24 January 2010 from http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services.asp?pid=saf&rid=4528
Canadian Mental Health Association, retrieved 24 January 2010 from http://www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca/mentalhealth/Types_of_Mental_Illness/OCD.aspx
Centennial Centre, retrieved 24 January 2010 from http://www.mentalhealthexcellence.ca/programs.php
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