Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder which affects around 1-2% of the population. People with OCD experience repetitive unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, doubts or urges (Obsessions) that create a lot of anxiety and distress. The person then carries out behaviours (Compulsions) to get rid of the intrusions and anxiety.

People with OCD are often aware that there is no logic behind their compulsions but the feelings are so overwhelming that they feel unable to stop them. This can lead to feelings of shame that can stop them from seeking treatment. I often tell my clients that OCD is not a problem with logic but with feelings.

Most people have heard of OCD but they often associate it with excessive handwashing or checking. It is now not uncommon for people to joke that they are ‘OCDish’ if for example they are very tidy. The reality thought is that OCD can be extremely debilitating, distressing and paralysing. It can manifest itself in an infinite number of themes including intrusive thoughts and images of harm to self / others, existential doubts that the world might not be real or sexual identity doubts amongst others. A lot of people report that they have ‘Pure O’ and think that this is somehow a different kind of OCD that only manifests in Obsessions and not Compulsions. In reality however, an expert in OCD will know that ‘Pure O’ doesn’t exist. What happens in this kind of presentation is that the compulsions or rituals are covert. This means they are mental or internal and not observable from the outside. Examples of covert compulsions might be neutralising a feared image by substituting it with a positive one in one’s mind or reassuring oneself that their feared outcome will not happen. The other type of compulsions is called covert. Covert compulsions are external and observable from the outside like e.g excessive hand washing, asking others for reassurance or checking the gas cooker many times to make sure it’s off.

According to the NICE Guidelines for OCD the evidence based treatment for OCD is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which includes Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Lots of Psychotherapists have completed some brief CBT training and claim to be CBT Therapists, but it’s important that you find a Therapist who is fully trained in CBT. It is then also essential that you find a CBT Therapist that has specific training for working with OCD. The treatment for OCD is very specific and different from conventional CBT. We often have clients telling us that they had CBT Therapy for OCD but that it was ‘the wrong kind of CBT’ and it ‘didn’t work’.

At The Meyer Therapy Practice we specialise in treating Obsessional Disorders including OCD. We offer a free confidential phone consultation with one of the Clinical Directors and we then match you with one of our specialists in OCD treatment. Please contact us if you’d like to explore this option. You can rest assured that you will be understood.

You can get lots of really helpful information and support in finding the right help in OCD Action (https://ocdaction.org.uk/).