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Anxiety - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Wendy Bennett
Jul 22, 2015
3 min read

So this week my focus is on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or, as it is better known, OCD. I would argue that OCD is one of the most well known mental health disorders. I’m sure at one time or another in describing our behaviour to others we have said “I’m a little OCD!”. We all have quirks and like things done a certain way or in a certain order, this however does not mean that you have OCD. OCD is a debilitating mental illness that has a profound impact on the life of a sufferer.

OCD

When a person suffers from OCD their life is consumed with unwanted, intrusive thoughts and

fears which cause anxiety. A person with OCD has the capacity to acknowledge that these thoughts are silly or irrational, however, in an effort to relieve their anxiety they carry out certain behaviours or rituals. Signs of OCD include, but are not limited to:

Having repetitive thoughts or concerns that are not about real life problems e.g. that you or someone close to you will be harmed.
Performing the same activity repeatedly and in a very ordered, precise and similar way each time.
Finding short term relief in the practicing of these tasks, but soon feel the need to repeat them.
Being able to recognise that these feelings, thoughts and behaviour patterns are unreasonable.
Finding that these thoughts or behaviours take up a significant amount of time during the day (i.e. more that an hour or two), or interfere with your normal routine of work/study/social activities.

OCD is treatable; however, some people experience a deep sense of shame and go to great lengths to hide their habit which makes identifying the issue and successfully treating it extremely difficult. In treating OCD psychological treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have been found to be a very effective way of treating the anxiety. The use of CBT is effective in not only helping the person recover but also in helping to prevent a recurrence of the anxiety.

So, if you know someone who is suffering from OCD there are things you can do to support them:

Encourage them to see their GP, to take action and seek help.

Acknowledge they have a disorder and are not just being difficult or awkward.
Don’t argue with them, try to stop them or involve yourself in their behaviour.
Don’t help them carry out their compulsion.
Avoid giving too much reassurance.In order to recover the person with OCD needs to confront their fears.

Work with them to ensure they include pleasurable, relaxing activities in their daily routine.

Encourage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise.
Do not expect too much too soon.Recovery from OCD is often a long process with ups and downs along the way.
Find support for yourself.Caring for anyone with any mental illness can be difficult and you need to ensure you are supported and don’t burn yourself out supporting someone else.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms or issues please, in the first instance visit your GP. Counsellors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists are all trained professionals that can help you.

Wendy xo