Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition thought to affect around 1.2% of the UK population. OCD affects people in very different ways—there is no single pattern or “one size fits all” form of the disorder.
What is OCD?
OCD is characterised by two main elements:
- Obsessions: Unwanted, unpleasant, or intrusive thoughts, images, or doubts that repeatedly enter your mind. These obsessions often cause feelings of anxiety, fear, disgust, or unease.
- Compulsions: Repetitive behaviours or rituals carried out to temporarily relieve the anxiety caused by obsessions.
For example, someone may obsessively worry about germs or infection, leading them to compulsively wash their hands multiple times before leaving the house.
How OCD Affects Daily Life
Compulsions may feel like they provide relief, but this is only short-term. Over time, the cycle of obsessions and compulsions can:
- Take up large amounts of time
- Interfere with work or studies
- Strain relationships with family, friends, or partners
- Impact emotional wellbeing and self-esteem
Left untreated, OCD can become overwhelming and significantly affect quality of life.
Causes and Treatment of OCD
Like many psychological conditions, OCD may be a symptom of underlying issues, sometimes comparable to how an addiction works. Addressing only the symptoms often isn’t enough—therapy aims to explore and treat the root causes as well as teaching tools for managing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
Seeking Help for OCD
If you are struggling with OCD, it is important not to face it alone. Speaking with your GP, a counsellor, or a psychotherapist can provide guidance, coping strategies, and long-term support. With the right treatment, many people with OCD find they can manage symptoms effectively and regain control of their lives. Please call us on 0333 0096 321, fill in our contact form or email us to find a therapist who can support you.
Useful Articles
Here's a list of articles on OCD you might find helpful.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Symptoms, Self-Help, and Treatment for Obsessions and Compulsions
It’s normal, on occasion, to go back and double-check that the iron is unplugged or your car is locked. But if you suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours become so excessive they interfere with your daily life. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to shake them. But help is available. With treatment and self-help strategies, you can break free of the unwanted thoughts and irrational urges and take back control of your life.
O.C.D., a Disorder That Cannot Be Ignored
People with O.C.D. know that their thoughts and actions are not realistic, but they cannot stop themselves from behaving as if they were grounded in fact. Performing compulsive rituals does not give them pleasure and only temporarily relieves their anxiety, resulting in a need to re-enact them again and again.
Articles by Dr. Steven Phillipson
A collection of articles by Dr. Steven Phillipson found on OCD Online
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, debilitating mental health condition characterised by distressing, intrusive obsessive thoughts and repetitive, compulsive physical or mental acts. OCD is a distinct condition but falls within the category of "obsessive-compulsive and related disorders."
What It's Like to Live With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Exactly why OCD happens, science is puzzling out, but it's probably a complex genetics/environment smoothie. Onset typically happens before age 25, and it tends to run in families. People say that it is often a traumatic event — a death, something that made you feel real danger for the first time — that triggers symptoms. There is also evidence that the brain structure or blood flow might be subtly different in people with OCD, says Ben Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at Brown University. But he adds it's unclear if these differences cause OCD or are due to its symptoms.
Poems and Quotes to Inspire You
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.
Andy Ripley – England and Lions rugby legend, often described as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of English rugby
Helpful articles often written by our fabulous practitioners.