Medication offers several advantages over other OCD therapies and treatments. In some cases, depending on your health plan (if you have one), it may be a less expensive option than weekly or twice-weekly therapy sessions, especially if you choose a therapist outside your plan (or, again, if you do not have a plan that covers mental health services). It may also be a good choice if you're unable to find a cognitive behavioral therapist in your area or on your plan.

Another advantage is time. You may not be willing, or able, to spend the time you need to diminish your symptoms step by step with CBT. You might find that you don't have sufficient motivation or patience to stick with a CBT regime. Contemplating CBT, specifically exposure and response prevention, may also frighten you to a degree that would make it impossible to begin. Your therapist might suggest that you try medication to help you tolerate beginning ERP, should you choose that type of therapy.

Different Kinds of Medication

Anafranil (generically known as clomipramine) has perhaps the longest history among drugs used to treat OCD. It is a tricyclic drug, meaning that it affects not only serotonin (the brain's so-called “feel good” chemical, the neurotransmitter responsible for boosting soothing feelings) but also dopamine and other brain chemicals. Anafranil may hold advantages for patients who want to go with the “tried and true.” Some doctors, however, prefer to use newer medications, largely because they are believed to carry less risk of side effects. Most of these are antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class.

How Do SSRIs Work?

SSRI medications do not produce serotonin, but they can make more of it available in your brain. They do this by (selectively) inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse, thereby allowing more of it to remain available to produce its calming effects. Any psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist should be able to explain the exact mechanics, if you're interested. SSRIs don't work for everyone, however; you may enjoy better results with another kind of medication.