OCD Specialist

Mark Rybakov, DO

Adult, Adolescent, and Child Psychiatrist located in Brooklyn, NY & Manhattan, New York, NY

If you have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), you can’t stop the disturbing thoughts that trigger uncontrollable behaviors. As a result, 85% of people with OCD suffer from intense distress that stops them from enjoying life. Dr. Mark Rybakov, DO, specializes in helping people in New York City with OCD overcome their obsessions and compulsions. If you’re ready to reset your life and get the treatment you need, book an appointment online or call one of his offices, located in Brooklyn and on Saint Mark’s Place in the East Village of Manhattan.

OCD Q & A

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder causes recurring, unwanted thoughts called obsessions. The extreme anxiety and distress arising from your obsessions cause an urgent need to perform behaviors called compulsions. These ritualistic compulsions are done to stop the thoughts and calm your anxiety.

While your compulsive behavior may stop your obsession, it’s only temporary. Without treatment, the thoughts will return and trigger your compulsion.

And if you can manage to stop yourself from performing your compulsion, your anxiety escalates as the thoughts continue.

As a result, OCD becomes a progressive cycle that can significantly disrupt your life. In severe cases of OCD, you can spend many hours every day caught up in your obsessions and compulsions.

What obsessions occur with OCD?

Obsessions typically center around a specific theme, with some of the most common being:

Fear of germs
Fear of being harmed
Need for order or symmetry
Aggressive or violent thoughts
Fear of saying something offensive

You may know that your thoughts aren’t logical or don’t make sense, and you want to stop them, but that doesn’t help you control them.

What compulsive behaviors occur with OCD?

Your compulsive behaviors usually follow the theme of your obsessions. If your obsession is about germs, you may need to excessively wash your hands, take a shower, or do the laundry.

If you need order or symmetry, you may constantly rearrange items on a shelf or slightly move furniture to keep everything in perfect order.

People who have a fear of being harmed may need to check their door to be sure it’s locked. They feel compelled to do this over and over even though they know it was locked the last time.

Another type of compulsive behavior, called repeating, may not seem to be directly related to your obsession. For example, you may keep rereading the same passage or repeatedly go up and down stairs.

How is OCD treated?

Dr. Rybakov integrates psychotherapy with medication, working with each patient to develop customized treatment. He has extensive experience using different types of therapies that help you to control your obsessive thoughts and stop acting out your compulsions.

Some people only need psychotherapy to get their OCD under control. Others may also need medication to improve their symptoms.

If you need help overcoming OCD, call Dr. Mark Rybakov, DO, today or schedule an appointment online.

What we offer