OCD Awareness Week 2017 (8th-14th October)
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Original post by Rum Ham
PRSOM
Completely agree with everything you have written here and the OCPD rant post
me and you should start a chat show ranting about all of this. We could talk for hours on this subject 
Tomorrow's rant will be interesting! I hope people get involved with that topic as I want to hear people's views. I may make a seperate thread about that topic and ask on
Twitter as well.
Completely agree with everything you have written here and the OCPD rant post
me and you should start a chat show ranting about all of this. We could talk for hours on this subject Tomorrow's rant will be interesting! I hope people get involved with that topic as I want to hear people's views. I may make a seperate thread about that topic and ask on
Twitter as well.
We totally should!
Hopefully we'll get some interesting discussion with that one. Yeah it might be a good idea to make it separate from this so if it does become popular it doesn't take over the whole thread. Might be worth mentioning it or posting it in Debate even.
edit: Good luck with your Compassion Therapy btw. I hope it's a good fit for your and improves things.
(edited 6 years ago)
Hmm... now this one's going to be interesting for me: Treatment
The main things I'm aware of for treating OCD are CBT and exposure therapy. From the looks of it they work well for a lot of people. I did try CBT for my OCD at one point, but I didn't find it helpful. I did find it more helpful for my depression though and have seen it help a lot of people in group therapy.
My OCD was pretty much caused by my depression so as the depression improved so did my OCD. I did try some treatments for it and have heard of others, but I don't think any of it helped.
I was always a little odd as a kid with OCD-like traits and I think when I became depressed it really emphasised that OCD-like tenancy in me. Once the depression improved that trigger went away and I went back to the tenancies which I can manage. When I'm stressed it flares up and I'll have a few more urges to deal with, but I know I'm in control now so it isn't an issue.
So for me I guess my treatment would be improving my general mental health and reducing my stress and depression.
The main things I'm aware of for treating OCD are CBT and exposure therapy. From the looks of it they work well for a lot of people. I did try CBT for my OCD at one point, but I didn't find it helpful. I did find it more helpful for my depression though and have seen it help a lot of people in group therapy.
My OCD was pretty much caused by my depression so as the depression improved so did my OCD. I did try some treatments for it and have heard of others, but I don't think any of it helped.
I was always a little odd as a kid with OCD-like traits and I think when I became depressed it really emphasised that OCD-like tenancy in me. Once the depression improved that trigger went away and I went back to the tenancies which I can manage. When I'm stressed it flares up and I'll have a few more urges to deal with, but I know I'm in control now so it isn't an issue.
So for me I guess my treatment would be improving my general mental health and reducing my stress and depression.
Original post by Kindred
We totally should!
Hopefully we'll get some interesting discussion with that one. Yeah it might be a good idea to make it separate from this so if it does become popular it doesn't take over the whole thread. Might be worth mentioning it or posting it in Debate even.
edit: Good luck with your Compassion Therapy btw. I hope it's a good fit for your and improves things.
Hopefully we'll get some interesting discussion with that one. Yeah it might be a good idea to make it separate from this so if it does become popular it doesn't take over the whole thread. Might be worth mentioning it or posting it in Debate even.
edit: Good luck with your Compassion Therapy btw. I hope it's a good fit for your and improves things.
Thanks
will keep you posted on how it goes 
I'm making the thread atm since I have the nurse first thing tomorrow and then my new couch is getting delivered in the afternoon so might not be on much tomorrow so might just post it tonight and then use this thread again on Thursday for that day's discussion.
Just trying to think of a snappy thread title for tomorrow's topic. "What do you think of OCD related joke items like Obsessive Christmas Disorder?" seems a bit too long
If Kind Kindred has any ideas on a thread title, please give me a shout
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Rum Ham
Thanks will keep you posted on how it goes
I'm making the thread atm since I have the nurse first thing tomorrow and then my new couch is getting delivered in the afternoon so might not be on much tomorrow so might just post it tonight and then use this thread again on Thursday for that day's discussion.
Just trying to think of a snappy thread title for tomorrow's topic. "What do you think of OCD related joke items like Obsessive Christmas Disorder?" seems a bit too long
If Kind Kindred has any ideas on a thread title, please give me a shout
will keep you posted on how it goes I'm making the thread atm since I have the nurse first thing tomorrow and then my new couch is getting delivered in the afternoon so might not be on much tomorrow so might just post it tonight and then use this thread again on Thursday for that day's discussion.
Just trying to think of a snappy thread title for tomorrow's topic. "What do you think of OCD related joke items like Obsessive Christmas Disorder?" seems a bit too long
If Kind Kindred has any ideas on a thread title, please give me a shout
Something like this...v ?
"Is it okay to joke about OCD?" "Is OCD humour okay?" "What do you think about OCD branded products?"
That or a click bait title like "Do you have Obsessive Christmas Disorder?" "What is Obsessive Cat Disorder?". Not sure that really gets across the discussion aspect though.
Maybe add a picture too?
Thursday 12th October - Discussing tips for coping with OCD
Hey guys sorry for the late start to today's discussion. I was at my MH support group.
Please feel free to share any tips that you find useful in control your OCD or that helps you get through the worst of the condition
What helps me -
*Joining a local MH support group. I was really wary of going at first but it has helped me so much to talk to others face to fave about how I'm feeling who aren't friends or family and who are also in the same boat
*Join a MH forum such as MHSS on here or NoMorePanic
*Keeping a diary
*Try not to think of myself as a failure if I do give into a compulsion. OCD can't be cured overnight and progress is slow and steady to recovery but I find it hard to accept that there's not a quick fix
Hey guys sorry for the late start to today's discussion. I was at my MH support group.
Please feel free to share any tips that you find useful in control your OCD or that helps you get through the worst of the condition
What helps me -
*Joining a local MH support group. I was really wary of going at first but it has helped me so much to talk to others face to fave about how I'm feeling who aren't friends or family and who are also in the same boat
*Join a MH forum such as MHSS on here or NoMorePanic
*Keeping a diary
*Try not to think of myself as a failure if I do give into a compulsion. OCD can't be cured overnight and progress is slow and steady to recovery but I find it hard to accept that there's not a quick fix
What helped me most to start with was reminding myself that it was the OCD, not me. I'm not crazy- I have a condition that's crazy.
It also really helped me to open up a bit with people and I found it especially helpful being able to be completely open with my (now) bf and get understanding and support in return. I wasn't getting in that cycle of my OCD getting triggered and then me getting more and more stressed trying to hide it. I could just deal with it without all that fuss.
Now that my OCD is gone and it's just some lingering tenancies I actually find it helpful to allow a little of it. I keep it so I'm still in control, but the things are so little that it's not worth fighting it and stressing myself out. If I'm getting more urges at any point I take note and go "must me stressed right now. Need to give myself some time to chill out and get less stressed".
When my OCD was more of an issue I found it helped to pick my battles. There were some urges/ rituals that I'd find more annoying than others so I worked on those and left the less problematic ones alone. It gave me more energy to deal with things and meant I wasn't constantly fighting myself.
Biggest thing though was just to love myself and try to keep positive. There will always be ups and downs with any condition and there's no sense beating yourself up over a little slip. I used to get pretty annoyed at myself over anything, but learning to accept it a little and trying to remind myself of what I'd done well or any progress I had made helped. I also needed to remember that it wasn't my fault so anything I managed was a victory for me and anything I didn't manage wasn't a loss- it was just unfortunate.
So yeah it all sounds a bit airy fairy, but my biggest advice for basically any mh issue is to love yourself. Nothing else is going to work if you're always beating yourself up. That includes not getting on your own case if you do get annoyed at yourself though.
It also really helped me to open up a bit with people and I found it especially helpful being able to be completely open with my (now) bf and get understanding and support in return. I wasn't getting in that cycle of my OCD getting triggered and then me getting more and more stressed trying to hide it. I could just deal with it without all that fuss.
Now that my OCD is gone and it's just some lingering tenancies I actually find it helpful to allow a little of it. I keep it so I'm still in control, but the things are so little that it's not worth fighting it and stressing myself out. If I'm getting more urges at any point I take note and go "must me stressed right now. Need to give myself some time to chill out and get less stressed".
When my OCD was more of an issue I found it helped to pick my battles. There were some urges/ rituals that I'd find more annoying than others so I worked on those and left the less problematic ones alone. It gave me more energy to deal with things and meant I wasn't constantly fighting myself.
Biggest thing though was just to love myself and try to keep positive. There will always be ups and downs with any condition and there's no sense beating yourself up over a little slip. I used to get pretty annoyed at myself over anything, but learning to accept it a little and trying to remind myself of what I'd done well or any progress I had made helped. I also needed to remember that it wasn't my fault so anything I managed was a victory for me and anything I didn't manage wasn't a loss- it was just unfortunate.
So yeah it all sounds a bit airy fairy, but my biggest advice for basically any mh issue is to love yourself. Nothing else is going to work if you're always beating yourself up. That includes not getting on your own case if you do get annoyed at yourself though.
Original post by Kindred
THIS!
OCPD is where I think a lot of confusion comes from. They are people who are clearly different and more obsessive so it's assumed they have OCD. These are the people who seem to be shoved in the media all the time in interviews and on that dumb show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners.
I watched an interview at one point where a woman was saying how she loves her OCD and it helps her with her business. As far as I could tell she had no diagnosis and her symptoms were far more reminiscent of OCPD which to really dull it down is just being a bit anal with things (when compared to full blown OCD at least). I'm sure it can pose a challenge for a lot of the people who have it, but it seems far less illogical than OCD and it also seems it's a lot easier to learn to work with it.
This also seems to be the case for the OCcleaners in that dumb show (have I mentioned how dumb it is?). There's the clear implication that they have OCD and yet I believe only one of them in the show's history has had a diagnosis and looking at it for the short time I did (I had to rage quit pretty soon) it seems they are yet another case of OCPD being taken as OCD.
This really emphasises and encourages a lot of the myths behind OCD like it being obsessive cleaning or something you can control/ use to your advantage.
I would have thought the first thing you would do as TV network/ news channel when showing an OCD person is actually check they have freaking OCD.
It's like me interviewing a WW2 survivor and them being some 14 year old I found at the local school in a fake beard! He's not a war survivor and that's not OCD!
Mini rant over. It's just annoying how people (/brands) can so easily claim OCD while people with OCD have to go through a complicated process to get diagnosed and receive help.
Next instalment in the Kindred rants about OCD series: Debunking Myths.
OCPD is where I think a lot of confusion comes from. They are people who are clearly different and more obsessive so it's assumed they have OCD. These are the people who seem to be shoved in the media all the time in interviews and on that dumb show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners.
I watched an interview at one point where a woman was saying how she loves her OCD and it helps her with her business. As far as I could tell she had no diagnosis and her symptoms were far more reminiscent of OCPD which to really dull it down is just being a bit anal with things (when compared to full blown OCD at least). I'm sure it can pose a challenge for a lot of the people who have it, but it seems far less illogical than OCD and it also seems it's a lot easier to learn to work with it.
This also seems to be the case for the OCcleaners in that dumb show (have I mentioned how dumb it is?). There's the clear implication that they have OCD and yet I believe only one of them in the show's history has had a diagnosis and looking at it for the short time I did (I had to rage quit pretty soon) it seems they are yet another case of OCPD being taken as OCD.
This really emphasises and encourages a lot of the myths behind OCD like it being obsessive cleaning or something you can control/ use to your advantage.
I would have thought the first thing you would do as TV network/ news channel when showing an OCD person is actually check they have freaking OCD.
It's like me interviewing a WW2 survivor and them being some 14 year old I found at the local school in a fake beard! He's not a war survivor and that's not OCD!
Mini rant over. It's just annoying how people (/brands) can so easily claim OCD while people with OCD have to go through a complicated process to get diagnosed and receive help.
Next instalment in the Kindred rants about OCD series: Debunking Myths.
Found this post really interesting (and @Rum Ham 's). I've heard of OCPD but didn't realize that those were the symptoms for it, I thought those kind of people you mention in that show (which I haven't seen but I think I know the type) were just anal about stuff I wouldn't have classed them as having actual OCD either so I can see why that misconception would be annoying to someone with OCD. I would have just called them anal or neat freaks or something.
sorry that's probably really offensive to people with OCPD but I wasn't really aware of what that was.(edited 6 years ago)
@Sabertooth love your new pic! I'm gonna have the Robot Hell song stuck in my head all day now "my ass has blisters from the slide!"
"my ass has blisters from the slide!" Media!
Well we already know my less than favourite depictions of OCD in media and we don't need any more of that negativity, so how about good ones?
(My spell check wanted to correct depictions to deceptions. That would have been quite appropriate.)
Obviously my experiences and ideas will differ from other people's, but here are some depictions I've found good. Some of you may have already seen this in past posts and I expect you'll continue to in later ones. Here goes...
I found Dr Kevin Casey on Scrubs to be pretty accurate. He starts off as an odd person, but you get to know him more and more as the episode progresses and that includes the darker side of his OCD.
I honestly just find Scrubs pretty decent in general. I think it does a good job of keeping humour without demeaning or trivialising conditions or people too much.
I also think that Sheldon in Big Bang Theory is an interesting example. I'm not sure if he's officially got OCD, but he clearly has OCD traits and I think it's covered relatively well. In some episodes it will be more gimmicky, but in others it touches more deeply on what it feels like for him.
Some of his issues aren't typical OCD so there is a little danger of confusion, but he's an individual and that's quite realistic. OCD and OCD tendencies mix with the person who has them and no two case will be exactly the same.
Sheldon is Sheldon. He's not OCD, he's not any of his other (assumed) special needs. He's Sheldon. We can laugh at him a bit and also feel for him. We can see his friends get annoyed at times, but also accept that he is how he is.
Also, if you're wanting some brutal honestly about OCD, Camp OCD is good. It's a documentary focusing on the treatment of young people with OCD at a special camp. It's pretty damn emotional at times, but they are real people with real OCD and you get to see just how brutal a condition it can be with no sugar coating.
There's also some other documentary I watched a while ago (BBC I think) which focused on youth mental health hospitals. Again, it shows real people with real issues and gives you some harsh truths that you may not see anywhere else.
I'm still waiting on a kid's show with OCD or other MH issues. We have a special needs puppet now, so bring on the OCD duck! Seriously though, kids are ready to accept almost anything. Putting things like that in kids shows doesn't have to be traumatic or stressful, but can be a big deal in terms of acceptance. I would really love to see MH issues being introduced more to kids.
Not only will they grow up to be more accepting of other people with them, but they may also recognise them in themselves earlier and make treatment a lot easier.
Well we already know my less than favourite depictions of OCD in media and we don't need any more of that negativity, so how about good ones?
(My spell check wanted to correct depictions to deceptions. That would have been quite appropriate.
)Obviously my experiences and ideas will differ from other people's, but here are some depictions I've found good. Some of you may have already seen this in past posts and I expect you'll continue to in later ones. Here goes...
I found Dr Kevin Casey on Scrubs to be pretty accurate. He starts off as an odd person, but you get to know him more and more as the episode progresses and that includes the darker side of his OCD.
I honestly just find Scrubs pretty decent in general. I think it does a good job of keeping humour without demeaning or trivialising conditions or people too much.
I also think that Sheldon in Big Bang Theory is an interesting example. I'm not sure if he's officially got OCD, but he clearly has OCD traits and I think it's covered relatively well. In some episodes it will be more gimmicky, but in others it touches more deeply on what it feels like for him.
Some of his issues aren't typical OCD so there is a little danger of confusion, but he's an individual and that's quite realistic. OCD and OCD tendencies mix with the person who has them and no two case will be exactly the same.
Sheldon is Sheldon. He's not OCD, he's not any of his other (assumed) special needs. He's Sheldon. We can laugh at him a bit and also feel for him. We can see his friends get annoyed at times, but also accept that he is how he is.
Also, if you're wanting some brutal honestly about OCD, Camp OCD is good. It's a documentary focusing on the treatment of young people with OCD at a special camp. It's pretty damn emotional at times, but they are real people with real OCD and you get to see just how brutal a condition it can be with no sugar coating.
There's also some other documentary I watched a while ago (BBC I think) which focused on youth mental health hospitals. Again, it shows real people with real issues and gives you some harsh truths that you may not see anywhere else.
I'm still waiting on a kid's show with OCD or other MH issues. We have a special needs puppet now, so bring on the OCD duck! Seriously though, kids are ready to accept almost anything. Putting things like that in kids shows doesn't have to be traumatic or stressful, but can be a big deal in terms of acceptance. I would really love to see MH issues being introduced more to kids.
Not only will they grow up to be more accepting of other people with them, but they may also recognise them in themselves earlier and make treatment a lot easier.
Original post by Rum Ham
Hey guys! 
"OCD Awareness Week aims to raise understanding and awareness of what OCD is and how it affects people. OCD Awareness Week is a global effort to educate people and work towards removing the misunderstanding and stigma of this seriously debilitating condition." - University of Kent
"Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges." - OCD-UK
So since its now officially OCD Awareness Week, I thought a thread would be rather fitting for it
Last years awareness week was very successful 
Over the next week, this thread will be used for general chat about the condition and also highlighted topics to discuss each day as well such as - personal experiences of OCD, coping tips, busting myths surrounding the condition etc. Self help and information links will be added as well. Feel free to mention any sites, blogs, videos you have personally found helpful as well
Here's a layout of the topics of the week ahead. If you feel any other topic relating to the condition should be mentioned then feel free to discuss it
1. Sunday 8th October - Talking about OCD in general plus sharing experiences
2. Monday 9th October - Post a fact about the condition/debunk myths
3. Tuesday 10th October - Discuss treatment for OCD e.g meds, therapy
4. Wednesday 11th October - Discussion on how the condition is treated as a joke, quirk or gimic
5. Thursday 12th October - Discuss tips for coping with OCD
6. Friday 13th October - Reviewing a media portrayal of OCD
7. Saturday 14th October - What do you think could be done both by health care professionals and friends and family to help OCD sufferers more?
Some useful sites for more information on the condition include -
OCDUK.org - The UK's leading charity on OCD and related conditions such as BDD. They also have a forum for sufferers too.
NoMorePanic - UK based anxiety forum. Helpful to those suffering from any kind of anxiety disorder, including OCD.
topuk.org - UK based website dealing with phobias and OCD
There are also free activities and lectures going on across The UK this week for OCD Awareness Week. You should be able to find the locations on OCDUK.org
So lets get this thread on the road! First post will be about giving tips and sharing my own experience on first opening up about the condition, both to friends and family and public on here and social media.
As always, feel free to ask questions, add any input or if you would like to talk privately, feel free to mail me.
You can post anon in this thread
"OCD Awareness Week aims to raise understanding and awareness of what OCD is and how it affects people. OCD Awareness Week is a global effort to educate people and work towards removing the misunderstanding and stigma of this seriously debilitating condition." - University of Kent
"Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges." - OCD-UK
So since its now officially OCD Awareness Week, I thought a thread would be rather fitting for it
Last years awareness week was very successful Over the next week, this thread will be used for general chat about the condition and also highlighted topics to discuss each day as well such as - personal experiences of OCD, coping tips, busting myths surrounding the condition etc. Self help and information links will be added as well. Feel free to mention any sites, blogs, videos you have personally found helpful as well
Here's a layout of the topics of the week ahead. If you feel any other topic relating to the condition should be mentioned then feel free to discuss it
1. Sunday 8th October - Talking about OCD in general plus sharing experiences
2. Monday 9th October - Post a fact about the condition/debunk myths
3. Tuesday 10th October - Discuss treatment for OCD e.g meds, therapy
4. Wednesday 11th October - Discussion on how the condition is treated as a joke, quirk or gimic
5. Thursday 12th October - Discuss tips for coping with OCD
6. Friday 13th October - Reviewing a media portrayal of OCD
7. Saturday 14th October - What do you think could be done both by health care professionals and friends and family to help OCD sufferers more?
Some useful sites for more information on the condition include -
OCDUK.org - The UK's leading charity on OCD and related conditions such as BDD. They also have a forum for sufferers too.
NoMorePanic - UK based anxiety forum. Helpful to those suffering from any kind of anxiety disorder, including OCD.
topuk.org - UK based website dealing with phobias and OCD
There are also free activities and lectures going on across The UK this week for OCD Awareness Week. You should be able to find the locations on OCDUK.org
So lets get this thread on the road! First post will be about giving tips and sharing my own experience on first opening up about the condition, both to friends and family and public on here and social media.
As always, feel free to ask questions, add any input or if you would like to talk privately, feel free to mail me.
You can post anon in this thread
Hi there, it's so lovely of you to be spreading awareness of a mental disorder that is sometimes not taken very seriously. I, myself, have suffered with OCD for as long as I can remember (I'm 15 now) and it has really impacted on my day to day life. Coping for me mostly includes avoiding loneliness, trying to not get to caught up in my mind by doing things like sport, and reminding myself that "I am not my OCD". I mostly keep my OCD to myself because no one really seems to understand it (and I'm quite a private person), I remember my mum saying it was just because I was a teenager!
I think one way to improve on how OCD is viewed is by improving awareness on it.
Hope everyone is having a good day,
Original post by Anonymous
Hi there, it's so lovely of you to be spreading awareness of a mental disorder that is sometimes not taken very seriously. I, myself, have suffered with OCD for as long as I can remember (I'm 15 now) and it has really impacted on my day to day life. Coping for me mostly includes avoiding loneliness, trying to not get to caught up in my mind by doing things like sport, and reminding myself that "I am not my OCD". I mostly keep my OCD to myself because no one really seems to understand it (and I'm quite a private person), I remember my mum saying it was just because I was a teenager!
I think one way to improve on how OCD is viewed is by improving awareness on it.
Hope everyone is having a good day,
I think one way to improve on how OCD is viewed is by improving awareness on it.
Hope everyone is having a good day,
I'm really gladly you like the thread
after this awareness week is over, I may make an OCD support thread for all we sufferers 
I suffer from ocd but my post gets removed
Saturday 14th October - What do you think could be done both by health care professionals and friends and family to help OCD sufferers more?
Last day of the awareness week! It has flown in!
Personally, I think the best thing anyone can do be it friends and family or medical professionals, is to listen empathetically. Too often sufferers get told they just need to "man up", "get on with things", get reminded that "there's worse people out there than you" or the classic "just calm down". People often forget that its an actual disorder and not just a case of 'being a little bit anxious'. From my own experience, people close to me have become frustrated by me at times because what I can say, do or think can be highly illogical and even though I know how crazy it sounds, I can't stop it but they think because I know how absurd it is, I should be able to nip it in the bud. If I could do that then I wouldn't have a disorder, would I?
I think it is extremely important for family and friends to educate themselves on OCD. You don't have to be an expert by any means but you have to know some key facts because you can help someone suffering, imo.
One way of helping OCD sufferers, which won't feel like help to the sufferer but will help them so much in the long run is to not let them get you involved in their compulsions. So many of us with OCD seek constant reassurance and this may become a compulsion. We may worry we have a lump in our body so we constantly ask someone to check it for us, we might worry food is contaminated so we ask someone to take a bit first, we may think we have left the cooker on at home so we ask someone at home to check and so on. Giving into their reassurance seeking sometimes is one thing but a lot of the time, carers can fall into the trap of giving into all or most of the reassurance compulsions. This can be out of habit or because of the distress not giving in would cause the sufferer. Not giving in to compulsions is the ultimate goal of treating OCD and sometimes the first step is for carers to not give in first, before the sufferer can learn to tackle their own compulsions on their own. Its a kind of 'cruel to be kind' and 'tough love' approach because the sufferer won't see it as you trying to help at first but through time, they will.
Huge thanks to everyone who has taken part in OCD AW 2017!
Last day of the awareness week! It has flown in!
Personally, I think the best thing anyone can do be it friends and family or medical professionals, is to listen empathetically. Too often sufferers get told they just need to "man up", "get on with things", get reminded that "there's worse people out there than you" or the classic "just calm down". People often forget that its an actual disorder and not just a case of 'being a little bit anxious'. From my own experience, people close to me have become frustrated by me at times because what I can say, do or think can be highly illogical and even though I know how crazy it sounds, I can't stop it but they think because I know how absurd it is, I should be able to nip it in the bud. If I could do that then I wouldn't have a disorder, would I?
I think it is extremely important for family and friends to educate themselves on OCD. You don't have to be an expert by any means but you have to know some key facts because you can help someone suffering, imo.
One way of helping OCD sufferers, which won't feel like help to the sufferer but will help them so much in the long run is to not let them get you involved in their compulsions. So many of us with OCD seek constant reassurance and this may become a compulsion. We may worry we have a lump in our body so we constantly ask someone to check it for us, we might worry food is contaminated so we ask someone to take a bit first, we may think we have left the cooker on at home so we ask someone at home to check and so on. Giving into their reassurance seeking sometimes is one thing but a lot of the time, carers can fall into the trap of giving into all or most of the reassurance compulsions. This can be out of habit or because of the distress not giving in would cause the sufferer. Not giving in to compulsions is the ultimate goal of treating OCD and sometimes the first step is for carers to not give in first, before the sufferer can learn to tackle their own compulsions on their own. Its a kind of 'cruel to be kind' and 'tough love' approach because the sufferer won't see it as you trying to help at first but through time, they will.
Huge thanks to everyone who has taken part in OCD AW 2017!
You know what? I'm honestly not too sure for this one.
As far as the health service goes, I think the NHS needs to get better at dealing with MH issues in general and give more preventative care before things reach too serious a level. There's so much going on with the NHS and I'm no expert though so I wouldn't know how.
As for individuals, I think the number one thing for absolutely everything is understanding, open-mindedness and empathy. Just be aware that you probably don't know everything and be willing to learn. I don't expect people to know everything about OCD, but I do expect some level of open-mindedness towards it and people with it. If you know somebody with any issues, try to learn a bit more about them and be understanding. Try not to assume the person will fit into a specific box and just take their word for things.
If you have an issue, try to give people the benefit of the doubt that they aren't an ass and give them a chance to learn. Most people are just uninformed- not mean.
Another thing is not to push people with issues. We all have limits and they vary from person to person. If somebody says they can't do something or aren't feeling well then just take their word for it, especially if you know they have issues. Don't say "oh well google says this", don't push for loads of detail, don't keep pandering them with internet miracle cures you googled, if you can see that they're having an issue don't say "ah yes, the OCD" or tell them to "stop doing that".
You're trying to help and that's lovely, but honestly they probably just want some space. Let them tell you what you can do. Sometimes being supportive means doing nothing and just being ready for if you are needed.
When somebody you care about is suffering or struggling there's a big feeling that you need to do something to help, but you often don't. You just need to be there.
That comes from having both mental and physical issues and some of the things I have experienced or heard from other people.
As far as the health service goes, I think the NHS needs to get better at dealing with MH issues in general and give more preventative care before things reach too serious a level. There's so much going on with the NHS and I'm no expert though so I wouldn't know how.
As for individuals, I think the number one thing for absolutely everything is understanding, open-mindedness and empathy. Just be aware that you probably don't know everything and be willing to learn. I don't expect people to know everything about OCD, but I do expect some level of open-mindedness towards it and people with it. If you know somebody with any issues, try to learn a bit more about them and be understanding. Try not to assume the person will fit into a specific box and just take their word for things.
If you have an issue, try to give people the benefit of the doubt that they aren't an ass and give them a chance to learn. Most people are just uninformed- not mean.
Another thing is not to push people with issues. We all have limits and they vary from person to person. If somebody says they can't do something or aren't feeling well then just take their word for it, especially if you know they have issues. Don't say "oh well google says this", don't push for loads of detail, don't keep pandering them with internet miracle cures you googled, if you can see that they're having an issue don't say "ah yes, the OCD" or tell them to "stop doing that".
You're trying to help and that's lovely, but honestly they probably just want some space. Let them tell you what you can do. Sometimes being supportive means doing nothing and just being ready for if you are needed.
When somebody you care about is suffering or struggling there's a big feeling that you need to do something to help, but you often don't. You just need to be there.
That comes from having both mental and physical issues and some of the things I have experienced or heard from other people.
