Where Psychiatry Misses the Boat with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Premium)

Psychiatrists are well equipped to take notes while patients describe their symptoms, compare these symptoms  to a checklist, and declare a diagnosis. But they fail to complete what could be the most important and helpful steps in understanding these symptoms before reaching for their prescription pad.

This is not to make light of their extensive training. But unfortunately, doctors typically do not: 1)  Examine the patient for underlying biological imbalances or 2) Examine environmental factors in the life of the patient.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of many conditions that are diagnosed with a checklist. (See OCD Symptoms and Diagnosis. ) Research has shown, however, that that patients with severe OCD have “significant evidence of serious physical health problems.”