Obsessive-compulsive disorder, more commonly known as OCD, is 1 of the 6 most common mental health disorders in the UK.
Although ‘being a little OCD’ is often used in casual conversation to describe certain quirks in behaviour, genuine OCD is a serious mental health condition that can have a major impact on your quality of life. Around 1 in 25 UK adults is affected by OCD during their lifetime.
Here, we’ll explore OCD symptoms, when to get help and how to manage and treat OCD.
OCD symptoms
OCD causes a cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. This cycle usually follows 4 steps:
Step 1 — a distressing image, thought or urge enters your mind, and you can’t stop thinking about it (obsession).
Step 2 — the thought makes you feel very anxious and distressed.
Step 3 — to relieve the intense anxiety, you feel uncontrollably driven to perform a certain physical or mental act even though you know it won’t change anything (compulsion).
Step 4 — completing the compulsive act makes you feel relieved for a short while.
As the relief felt from carrying out the compulsive behaviour is temporary, the cycle starts again. This can interfere with your ability to carry out your daily tasks, including work and looking after yourself. It can also strain your relationships.
This is why OCD can lead to other mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and hoarding.
When to get help
If you’re concerned that you have OCD, you should see your GP.
As with a physical health condition, mental health conditions need treatment and management to improve symptoms and quality of life. OCD is a recognised mental health condition and not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.
What’s more, left untreated, OCD usually gets worse and will continue to reduce your quality of life.
Getting a diagnosis
If you’re concerned that you have OCD, visit your GP. They’ll ask you about your concerns and symptoms. They’ll also ask you a series of questions designed to check how likely it is that you have OCD. This is an initial screening.
It’s important that you answer these questions as honestly as possible. Based on your answers, your GP may refer you for an in-depth assessment with a trained mental health professional.
This in-depth assessment will involve answering more detailed questions about your behaviours, thoughts and feelings.
You may find online assessments or questionnaires for OCD. However, these are not reliable for diagnosing OCD. It’s only possible to get an accurate diagnosis by speaking to a trained mental health professional.
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If you’re concerned about symptoms, you can book an appointment with a Spire private GP today.
What causes OCD?
The exact cause of OCD is unknown. However, research suggests that there are differences in brain activity in those with OCD compared with those without OCD.
Your risk of developing OCD is higher if members of your family have OCD. This suggests that genetics may play a role in the development of OCD.
Other risk factors include:
- Going through very stressful events
- Going through traumatic events as a child
- Having another mental health condition eg anxiety, autism, depression or a tic disorder
However, it is possible to develop OCD without any of these risk factors, and OCD can affect anyone at any age.
How to treat OCD
OCD is treated with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with or without medication. For some people, CBT alone is effective in treating OCD, while others need medication as well.
CBT is a talking therapy. It includes exposure and response prevention (ERP), which focuses on modifying your behaviours. It also involves cognitive therapies that focus on helping you control your thoughts.
Medication is most effective when combined with CBT. In most cases, the type of medication used is an antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This helps increase the levels of a hormone called serotonin, which regulates your mood and the pathways in your brain that control repetitive behaviours.
The doses of SSRIs given to treat OCD are usually higher than those given to treat depression.
Can OCD be cured?
OCD is a chronic (long-term) health condition. While it cannot be permanently cured, with treatment, individuals with OCD can go for long periods of time — months or even years — without any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they are often more manageable and less disruptive to daily life.
Living with OCD
Getting your OCD treated with CBT and, if needed, medication too, is the first step towards improving your quality of life. However, there are also steps you can take at home to help manage your OCD.
Making sure you are in good physical health can have knock-on benefits for your mental health. Following a healthy, balanced diet, exercising regularly and sticking to a healthy bedtime routine can all help reduce the severity of your OCD symptoms.
It’s also important to get support from friends and/or family who you trust. Keeping your OCD a secret can add to feelings of anxiety and depression.
If you’re not comfortable sharing your diagnosis with friends and/or family, you can find support from charitable organisations and support groups.
Where to find help
You can find help, support and advice from your GP, but also from UK mental health charities, including OCD UK, OCD Action, the International OCD Foundation and MIND.
