Hi there! I'm quite new here, but I'm CONVINCED of how important this chat is for all of us as OCD sufferers. There are many of us here who are struggling with OCD symptoms every day. I've been following various comments in this chat. And now, I'm encouraged to write this short contribution. As many of us, I've also had my OCD for a very long time, starting during my university studies. And in my case, the symptoms became severe quite soon. And I thought I'd never get better. --- But then, the miracle happened and I got help from a neurosurgical operation called "capsulotomy". After that, I've been reading a lot of scientific literature dealing with various methods used to treat severe OCD: my operation + TMS, rTMS, ECT, MrgFUS, DBS. I just liked to write here this short message in order to have some discussion on this subject.
Hello, I wanted to learn about the treatment you mentioned. What are the main improvements from this treatment? Also any post symptoms (i.e side effects)?
Hi there. And thank you for your reply. I had attached there the link to an article dealing with neurosurgery (and especially this method "capsulotomy"). You asked:
1) What are the main improvements from this treatment? I think it would need more time here to find out in depth, but we can do so that I could give you here some basic information and we would continue this discussion a bit later. What do you think?
Some forms of improvement:
- I could get out of the hospital where I'd been for 6 years (it's commonly known in severe OCD the symptoms can be really devastating) and begin a NEW life (e.g. finish my university studies and get my Master's Degree), in every day life I started to live almost a normal life WITHOUT excessive rituals(handwashing, many hours in shower, checking everything, being able to go out of my apartment , getting out of the massive isolation from the society).
2) As to the side effects, I must admit that I was lucky without almost no side effects. At the beginning, I perhaps slept a bit more than normally (the brain chemistry changes caused it). And I've discussed with the hospital personnel things like PERSONALITY CHANGES - and they've all stated that my personality DIDN'T change after the surgery.
Below you see my answers to your questions I already wrote to you. But now, I just liked to write some more.
1) As to the improvements, the NEW life after the surgery was something TOTALLY different from my life I had had during the devastating therapy resistant OCD and it's symptoms - in all aspects everything CHANGED to POSITIVE. I was in such a bad condition BEFORE the surgery that I just couldn't imagine these new opportunities. --- I still have medication as a support, but SMALLER doses.
2) As to the side effects, I do know there are mixed opinions among professionals (i.e. psychiatrists): some think it would be ethically wrong to alter brain functions (which occurs in an operation), but on the other hand there are many professionals (i.e. neurosurgeons) who think that it's ethically JUST THE RIGHT WAY to help those persons whose life is under threat due to this severe OCD. And they mention e.g. 2 things: suicide is much more common among them AND according to WHO the severe OCD is among the 10 most difficult disorders (to treat) among all disorders in the world.
I hope you understand my points. I would be glad if you could answer.
Hello, thanks for your valuable information. I understand this treatment is not for all suffering from OCD. My relative has had OCD for over 20 years and attended intensive cognitive treatment plus medicine. It has worked for periods of time but with relapses. So just wanted to see other alternatives , so I appreciate the information you provided.
Hi. I saw you live in the USA. There are the best possibilities to get e.g. this surgery in your home country, even if these hospitals can be private ones and so the operation prices can be SKYROCKETING.
How could you estimate this possibility of surgery? I know the price (at a private hospital) can be about $50.000-$100.000. Do you have an insurance which could cover this?
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