How can lack of Serotonin have anything to do with OCD?

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I get it it’s the good mood hormone and you can feel down when you are low on it. Makes sense how it could be the cause of depression.

But how it can be related to brain making stressful thoughts? And forcing one to do compulsions for relief?

And why when you take SSRIs and your Serotonins reach a normal level, a significant reduction of symptoms occurs? I don’t get it.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

one class of ocd medicines is a very low dose anti depressant and the logic goes as follows

when you give into a compulsive action, your brain squirts a little neurotransmitter to reward you.
the low dose antidepressant block this reward mechanism which stops reinforcing the compulsive behavior.

the dosage here is very important, low. just enough to stop the compulsive actions; not meant to affect things in the sqme way you would want for a chronic depression which is more about restoring balance to those same neurotransmitters

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