Most commonly, stimulation is constant, 24 hours a day. But the treating psychiatrist may give the patient the ability to turn it off, such as at night if the stimulation causes problems with sleep.

Since surgery, Patel has continued weekly therapy sessions. Research shows that deep brain stimulation is most effective when people continue to engage in exposure and response prevention therapy. Electricity alone will not break years of hard-wired habits, but it can be the catalyst that allows for new neural pathways to be established and new behaviors to be learned. Likewise, most individuals need to continue medication. Though the effects of deep brain stimulation can be remarkable, it is not a cure.

Patel has experienced a 54% reduction in his OCD, according to the standardized scale. This means that his symptoms decreased from the “extreme OCD” to the “moderate” range.

He can now eat and drink at work and use public restrooms. He has more social connections, seeks less reassurance and spends less time decontaminating himself and his belongings. While sleep was previously his only respite, Patel is now intentional about finding meaningful activities to fill the hours that are no longer occupied by rituals.

Most importantly, he is beginning to feel hopeful that it just might be possible to build a life driven by purpose and intention, rather than by fear.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Rachel A. Davis, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

Read more:
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Brain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn’t clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapies

Rachel Davis consults for Medtronic, Inc. She receives funding from the NIH .