What we treat

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is the experience of frequent intrusive, unwelcome obsessional thoughts that may lead to repetitive, compulsive behaviours.

You may try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts to try to ease your stress.

Despite efforts to ignore or get rid of bothersome thoughts or urges, they keep coming back. This leads to more ritualistic behaviour — the vicious cycle of OCD.

These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress. If you have OCD, you may be ashamed and embarrassed about the condition.

Most people with OCD who receive therapy finish feeling better and more able to manage their symptoms.

Variations

Obsessions often have themes to them, such as:

• Fear of contamination or dirt

• Needing things orderly and symmetrical

• Aggressive or horrific thoughts about harming yourself or others

• Unwanted thoughts, including aggression, or sexual or religious subjects

Signs & Symptoms

Obsessive compulsive disorder usually includes both obsessions and compulsions. But it's also possible to have only obsession symptoms or only compulsion symptoms.

Examples of obsessions include:

• Fear of being contaminated by touching objects others have touched

• Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove

• Intense stress when objects aren't orderly or facing a certain way

• Images of hurting yourself or someone else that are unwanted and make you uncomfortable

• Thoughts about shouting obscenities or acting inappropriately that are unwanted and make you uncomfortable

• Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands

• Distress about unpleasant sexual images repeating in your mind

Examples of compulsions include:

• Hand-washing until your skin becomes raw

• Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked

• Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off

• Counting in certain patterns

• Silently repeating a prayer, word or phrase

• Arranging your canned goods to face the same way

These symptoms may cause difficulties in day-to-day activities such as work, studying, social activities or relationships with others.

Other struggles

Read more about the other difficulties we treat:

Stress

Depression

Worrying lots about different things

Illness anxiety

Flashbacks or nightmares of a trauma

Social anxiety

Specific phobias

Panic attacks

Perceived flaws in appearance

Loss or bereavement

Expressing anger

Problems in relationships

Talking therapy

If you could be struggling with OCD, read about the talking therapies we offer to see how they could help you. You may also like to read some feedback and encouragements by those who received therapy with us.

Self-help resources

Be sure to check out our useful section of self-help resources for wellbeing.

Employment advice

Alongside therapy our Employment Team can help you find employment or training, and support you with workplace adjustments or disputes.