OCD and Alcohol Addiction: Obsessive and Compulsive Use of Alcohol

Also, excessive drinking can create memory and concentration problems, difficulty focusing on tasks and mood changes. These long-term effects can increase the intensity and duration of compulsive behaviors and make them an even more destructive force in a person’s life. For example, someone with OCD affected by alcoholism may not be able to remember the act of washing their hands upon leaving a bathroom and return again and again to repeat the same activity. There is a link between all mental health conditions and addiction, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Alcohol has been known to increase serotonin production in the brain. I have OCD and I’m not producing as much serotonin so should this be a good thing. Since alcohol is increasing serotonin, it often gives individuals a giddy, calm, tipsy feeling. Drinking for many can cause more doubt and fear to a very debilitating level. It is said that 24 to 40% of people with OCD use alcohol as a way to cope.

1. The most common therapy approach is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy to ease OCD-related stress and anxiety.
2. Learn more about NIMH’s commitment to accelerating the pace of scientific progress and transforming mental health care.
3. And, over time and with continued use, they require larger amounts of alcohol to get the desired effects.
4. We want to teach OCD that you have more power and that you are not going to respond as if it is a real threat.
5. In turn, this affects all the different phases of sleep we get a night – which are usually finely tuned to make sure we are rested and our brains can function properly.

In the United States, 12-month and lifetime AUD prevalence is, respectively, estimated to be up to 14 and 30% of the adult population, with 9.8% of all deaths attributable to acute or chronic alcohol use (World Health Organization, 2018). About 30% of those between the ages of 40 and 59 were more likely to drink more due to the stress of the pandemic, while 20% of older adults (ages 60 and older) without anxiety increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic. Researchers also found that those over the age of 40, who struggle with anxiety or depression were twice as likely to turn to alcohol to calm their nerves and ease their COVID-19 anxiety. She spent most of her time in a self-imposed isolation – washing her hands and drinking. Eventually, Marla became fed-up with her OCD symptoms and sought treatment.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health disorder that often occurs alongside an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Having either OCD or AUD increases your likelihood of developing the other. According to a large 2022 study from Sweden, people living with OCD have a nearly four times increased risk of any substance misuse outcome, such drinking alcohol on the low fodmap diet as an SUD, criminal conviction, substance dependence, or death. Research has also shown that alcohol use can worsen the symptoms of sleep apnoea, a disorder in which your breathing stops and starts while you sleep6. Even if you don’t have the condition, studies show that moderate or heavy drinking can cause episodes of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Approximately 25% of OCD-sufferers also have a substance abuse disorder like alcoholism. Although the exact cause of alcohol dependence varies from person-to-person, several factors appear to play a role in its development, severity, and progression. In other words, it is a way to block out upsetting, stressful, overwhelming, or depressing situations, thoughts, and/or behaviors. This makes alcohol extremely appealing to people with OCD because 6 things that happen to your body when you stop drinking it allows them to “turn-off” the intrusive thoughts, images, and urges and stop the involuntary behaviors (rituals and routines) – at least temporarily. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with OCD and are seeking treatment for an alcohol use disorder, treating the cause is just as important as treating the symptoms. Alcohol may have created strain in your life and hurt your relationships, but it was only a coping mechanism.

Out of all the approaches to OCD treatment that I’ve used, I find Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy to be the most effective. By using ERP in our sessions, you can look forward to better days ahead. Some people with OCD may turn to alcohol to tame their symptoms, though they’re more likely to worsen them. If you live with OCD, you may be more likely to misuse alcohol. If you want to reduce your alcohol intake, having a conversation with friends and family about how they can support you can make a difference. Professional support can also help you manage the relationship OCD has with alcohol use.

The Nature of Alcohol Abuse

This could jumpstart the obsessive thoughts and “force” him or her to engage in certain behaviors to ease the pressure and reduce the anxiety. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, (OCD), is a common co-occurring disorder that is often present alongside alcoholism. The compulsions one feels seem to be lessened with the effects of alcohol; however, alcohol actually can make compulsions become more intense. I started as a therapist over 14 years ago, working in different mental health environments. Many people with OCD that weren’t being treated for it crossed my path and weren’t getting better.

Co-occurring disorders can pose additional complications when recovering from an alcohol use disorder. In the case of OCD, the compulsions that were put off for so long can come back. Coupled with the regular symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, the recovering person will be exposed to incredible physical and psychological pain. This can make the afflicted more likely to relapse and less likely to try again. Co-occurring conditions can pose an additional challenge in treating an alcohol use disorder, but recovery is possible. A combination of treatments can address OCD and AUD at the same time.

Recovering from OCD and Alcohol Addiction

However, treatment is available to help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. In the models where total OCD symptoms served as the outcome variable, the relationship between risky drinking and OCD symptoms increased as symptoms of both physical and social AS increased. In models where symptoms of the obsessing dimension served as the outcome variable, the relationship between risky drinking and obsessing symptoms increased as symptoms of both physical and social AS increased. Additionally, this relationship increased as symptoms of general depression and social anxiety increased. Please see Table 2 for moderation paths and total model figures.

OCD and Alcohol: Understanding the Risks and Dangers

If you’re at a party, you could try opting for a soft drink or glass of water between alcoholic drinks, which will help keep you hydrated and mean you drink less alcohol over the night. Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. It helps to know how many units are in a drink – 14 units is the same as six pints of average-strength beer or ten small glasses of lower-strength wine. Drinking alcohol relaxes the muscles around your throat, making you more likely to snore too. This is because alcohol can make the tissue in the nose swell, which can cause congestion and create a need to breathe through the mouth, making you snore. Snoring may well disturb your own sleep by waking you up – but it is likely to cause problems for partners too.

Alcoholism As A Mask For OCD

The Alcohol Coach offers a unique and effective approach to treatment that addresses all three disorders. The program is centered around self-empowerment, positive thinking, and accountability. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a tool for personalized psychiatry. In rTMS, single TMS pulses are delivered at various frequency (typically 1–20 Hz) in either a fixed or bursting pattern from 600 to 4000 pulses per session. These effects can be achieved through teta burst stimulation (TBS). With continuous TBS (cTBS), three pulse bursts at 50 Hz are applied at a frequency of 5 Hz.

Are compulsions and addictions the same?

Alcohol.org is a subsidiary of American Addiction Centers (AAC), a nationwide provider of addiction treatment facilities. Treatment options for OCD and alcoholism include cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, and rehabilitation programs. People with OCD struggle to control these obsessions or compulsions, such as washing their hands for fear of germs. In some cases, OCD symptoms can interfere with a person’s daily life or ability to maintain relationships or a job. OCD is a mental health condition defined by intrusive thoughts, known as obsessions, and compulsions, which are ritualistic reactions to relieve obsession-related distress.

Typical figure-of-eight coil affects approximately 10 cm2 of cortical surface, while H shape coil design approximately 100 cm2. Most flat coil designs have penetration depths from 1 to 2 cm, whereas the H-coil designs has higer depths of 2–3 cm (Deng et al., 2014). The introduction of H-coils has offered the opportunity of non-invasively how long can you live with cirrhosis modulate activity in brain targets that previously were accessible only by neurosurgial procedures. The combined use of neuronavigation and neuroimaging with rTMS, makes of this latter a feasible therapeutic tool for personalized psychiatry. Fronto-striatal functional connectivity and cognitive control in AUD and OCD.

It is also crucial that people who use addictive substances do not try to quit “cold turkey.” Depending on the substance, this could be very dangerous. Another theory is that both OCD and addiction may affect the reward processing part of the brain. However, currently, experts do not fully understand this link, so more research is necessary.

Most healthcare professionals agree that co-occurring disorder treatment is the best way to overcome both conditions. This treatment addresses both OCD and alcoholism together to work towards a full recovery. This brochure provides information on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) including signs and symptoms, causes, and treatment options such as psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for adults and children with OCD.

The aim is to reduce or eliminate the power these triggers (i.e. intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors) have over an OCD-sufferer’s life. OCD is typically a long term psychiatric disorder affecting about 2% of the population. There are particular factors that support a person with OCD and alcohol misuse to have healthier outcomes.