Comments on The House of Obsessive Compulsives

Following the Channel 4 documentary, 'The House of Obsessive Compulsives' we have had a number of emails commenting on the show. Read a selection of the reviews below and a response from the therapist team of Blake, Elizabeth, Paul and Victoria.

 

Viewers Feedback

Sue

I agree with the comments in the introduction on this page - 90 minutes was not enough to cover the intense therapy that the participants must have gone thro' for the 2 weeks and it did make the tasks look "easy". To the uniniciated (i.e. people who have not experienced the effects of OCD, sufferers or friends and family of a sufferer), it made the tasks look relatively easy. I realise 90mins isn't a long time to cover everything and it was a difficult subject to cover in such a short time. I'm just concerned that people who watched it may think that OCD is not such a serious problem, if it can be "cured in 2 weeks. Nevertheless Well done to Channel 4 for trying to raise awareness in the general population. More programs on the subject please!

 

John

In recent years I have been treated as an inpatient at two different behavioural units in England. When I first met the other patients i found out some had been there for well over six months, yet they would often ask me to put a light or kettle on for them because they would not touch these appliances, even with bags over their hands or rubber gloves on. They were actively undergoing exposure/response prevention and cognitive therapy on a daily basis. I don't care how long the people who partook in the programme were spoken to before they touched a toilet or whatever else, if they could do this so willingly it can hardly be a genuine severe case of ocd. Try living in a ward for months alongside other sufferers, with no television cameras to constantly reassure you of how irrational all your fears really are. There is no doubt that these people were enduring a high level of anxiety but reality programmes like this make a mockery of the disorder in the eyes of ! cynical non sufferers, of which i'm sure we've all known plenty. 2 out of the three were ''completely recovered'' after a couple of weeks. Do me a favour.

 

Anna

As an OCD sufferer being very similar to both Wendy and Sophie I loved the show. I found it really beneficial and am really glad with the outcome of Wendy, Gerry and Sophie. Congrats Sophie (if you read this!. x.)

 

Patricia

I have mixed feelings over the documentaries. Obviously joy over Wendy and Sophie's cure. Hope that Gerard can improve even further or at least maintain his success. I am upset that the programme implied that, to some degree, OCD is within us all and that a trauma will cause it to develop into a fully blown illness. This may seem a trivial point to raise, but I know how distressed parents can blame themselves for their children's OCD. This will reinforce their fears. I know that a trauma can trigger OCD in some people. For others that is not the case. OCD can be biochemical in origin, many people have had OCD all their lives and no trauma triggered it. I agree with Catherine, I am very upset by the message the programme has given out. I asked friends to watch. They came to a unanimous conclusion, that if OCD sufferers push themselves hard enough they will be cured in a short space of time. This is so distressing for those of us who simply don't respond to CBT, no matter how hard we try. We are now likely to be viewed as weaker than those who do respond. Like Catherine, I have not experienced reduction in fear. Like Catherine, I will swear on my life, that I find my anxiety continues to rise. That does not mean we are not pushing ourselves enough! Recently I received a phone call from a man in the US. I didn't know him, he kindly called to let me know how my friend was getting on with intensive group therapy. He was aware she had been phoning me regularly. He told me he would not have believed how some people's fear continues to rise, if he hadn't witnessed it first- hand. This was what was occurring with my friend, and she was too distressed to phone herself. Four of the five members of the group experienced reduction in their fears, in some cases remarkably quickly. With my friend her fear continued to grow. Their psychologist (an OCD expert) explained that CBT doesn't work for all. Professor Salkovskis has admitted that, too, what a pity he couldn't have mentioned that in the documentaries. Like Catherine, I feel that more could have been said about other forms of OCD. It wouldn't have taken too much time. Catherine is right. The TV company and the professor and his team obviously wanted 'happy ending' stories. Sadly the message sent out to the nation is that if we push ourselves hard enough we will overcome OCD. For some of us it is an indomitable force, which can even evolve and attack from new directions. As Catherine has already pointed out, it did appear that those in the documentary had relatively isolated problems. I realize their OCD was extreme but the multi-issue problem was not addressed. Many of us suffer from multiple kinds of OCD. Often if we do manage to make progress in one area, another problem becomes worse. The programme has given hope to many. Sadly it could have done that without doing a great deal of harm at the same time. I felt angry at first. Now I am just terribly, terribly despondent.

 

John

I found the end of the programm to be very moving. as the participants viewed themselves on video, prior to entering the house, they were all visibly affected by the realisation that, in some sense, they had felt 'trapped' by their thoughts and compulsions. i have 'pure-o' ocd tendencies and the programme will have raised the public's awareness of what can be a debilitating way to live your life. More please.

 

Alisha

I am only 16 and i have not told anyone about it because i didn't want people to think i was not normal but it seems to be getting worst but after watching the channel four show i think am ready to tell someone and get the help i need!!

 

Clair

I commend Channel 4 for bringing awareness of OCD to light for many people, but I too think that it came across as all too easy for these people to get over the OCD. I don't want to take anything away from them and congratulate them on how far they progressed. But, I have a lesser form of OCD, and am finding it very difficult to overcome, and I just think that the programme portrayed that OCD is easy to overcome in a matter of a couple of weeks. I find this disappointing because myself and other sufferers will be expected to overcome the illness in a short period of time.

 

Sophie

I sat and sobbed whilst watching the House of Obsessive Compulsives. I have recently been diagnosed and found that the experiences of the members of the house really struck a chord. I felt so happy for them getting the intensive treatment that they needed, as for the rest of us (I am based in Scotland) - it's a year waiting list for CBT.

 

Sharon

I watched the final episode of the House of Obsessive Compulsives and I can truly reflect in the comments given by Catherine. At the end of the programme I must admit I felt deflated and rather cheated on how it was OCD was represented. 'Happy ever after' endings very seldom exist in OCD and I found it very frustrating to see it portrayed in this way. At the beginning of the programme Wendy, Sophie and Gerrard were represented as being three of the worse OCD sufferers in the country, whilst I take nothing away from them, as they were extremely brave in allowing people into their private worlds, I do believe that there are many worse cases of OCD out there that have just not been reported. OCD is a very private and disabilitating illness and a lot of people hide their illness to the private confines of their home so often it is only their immediate family that know of their suffering. I myself am a child, well adult now, of a severe OCD sufferer. I have lived with the secrets of my fathers illness all my life and still continue to do so. My father is now completely disabled by his OCD so much so he has not left the house in over 22 years and has been bed ridden for the last 15 years. He too has the intrusive thoughts and the compulsions of washing and fears everything is contaminated. My mother tries to assist him in every way she can that she lives his OCD with him which also makes her housebound as my father fears contamination from the outside world. OCD has severely effected my life and I don't think the families of the OCD sufferers in the programme were reflected as being 'effected'. Overall the programme did highlight the condition although as commented on before it was a little too neat for my liking as well and the idea of being cured in 9 days just seemed to lighten and take away the seriousness of how disabling this condition is.

 

Caroline

I watched both programmes, and having suffered with OCD for over 30 years, I found it very informative.

When I first discovered I had OCD there was not the knowledge out there to help me, but nowadays there is a lot more known about it, so therefore it is easier to get help. Perhaps if this had been the case years ago, I would not have suffered as much as I have. Fortunately I have got back my life, thanks to years of help from a CPN, without that person, I would not he the person I am today. I still have OCD, but as my CPN told me years ago you will probably never be without it. At first I was ready to fight that statement, but now I am more that happy to be able to live my life like I do, rather than how it used to be.

At the end of the show, Paul said he would like to see more money available on the NHS to support these kind of treatments, I hope this is made available, because living your life in terror, in effect your hands tied behind your back, unable to do what you want, while others just seem to get on with their lives with no apparent problems just adds to the frustration of the problem. NHS please heed his words.

Thank you for the programmes and I hope there will be more to help open the eyes of the ignorant public that there is such an illness as OCD and what help is available. Thank you.

 

Jemma

I felt the programme really helped broaden peoples understanding of this life destroying disorder however those who don't suffer the illness can not possibly understand just how severe and overwhelming this illness is. I admire the sufferers courage and bravery, by far the bravest people I have ever seen! I felt it concentrated more on compulsions rather than 'pure 0' thoughts however this is the same illness so it's just as hard to fight for 'pure O' sufferers.

 

 

The following comments were made after the first show but before the second one was screened.

Lianne

Having a OCD myself found it useful because it opened my eyes to the wide range of disorders. I has helped me come to terms with having it and I feel like less of a freak. Thanks you

 

Susan

This programme has placed OCD on the map for many people. It is a kin to 'coming out', being able to say I have ocd and I can do something about this, I have the tools, just need guidance on how to use them skillfully.

'THE ANSWER IS IN THE DOING'

 

Mercy

The programme was informative. I also learnt that the sufferer has to be prepared to push him/herself to be able to do recover from it. However, they also need professionals and loved ones to encourage them. I really want to know if a child who is autistic can be cured of OCD. I have a son who is 10 years and he touches things a number of times before he can move on. This happened one day on a high street and we were nearly ran over, because he would not move until he touch the ground a number of times. I have taken him to professionals at the hospital, but I felt I was not taken seriously.

 

Emma

As a fellow OCD sufferer myself I found this program (although educational) lacking in the obsession side of the disorder. Most people assume that all of OCD involves compulsions - however as many like me will know there are also people out there who suffer from the obsessions alone without any compulsions. Diagnosed three years ago, I deal with OCD every day in my head. I have the obsessions and intrusive thoughts which can be uncomfortable and very disturbing. It just seems in the media that they don't know or are not willing to deal with this side of OCD. This leaves people like me unrecognised and slightly anxious that our side of OCD is not talked about. It would be nice to see a program that didn't concentrate on the Compulsions but more the obsessions.....which are just as time consuming and hard work to deal with. However, I still think the program was a positive step in educating the public about the disorder. Thank you.

 

Sarah

The house of OCD is a really good documentary showing people what it is like to live with OCD. I support a gentleman who has OCD and seeing this programme gave me a lot to think about.

 

Jenni

I'm glad that there is finally a programme highlighting this life destroying problem. Not only does it affect the sufferer, but everyone around them, making them feel a burden or isolated. It is a relief to see that there are other like myself, and the programme has given me so hope and courage to seek change.

 

Susan

I found this programme extremely interesting and helpful. My fear is germs and contamination. I now think if that girl can do it so can I. But how far do you go? Surely it is risky to put your hand in the loo and then eat. We're always told to wash before eating to prevent food poisoning. I feel confused and don't know what to think.

 

Catherine

First off I want to say that Wendy, Sophie and Gerrard are far braver than I could ever be and that I commend their spirit and willingness to expose themselves not only to their worst fears but also to the country and beyond. They are superb people who deserve any success they derive from the study. So I want to emphasise that my comments do not relate to them personally, far from it.

My first concern though is the way in which the exposure success scenes were shown. OK we know from the board that W, S and G had already had one intensive day's treatment building up to the task but the rest of the world doesn't know that. My sisters first comment to me was 'well that all seems very easy why can't you do it' and that's how it came across to me too. The whole programme seemed very neatly boxed off at times. The final scene where Wendy had her panic attack redressed this slightly but I have to say I felt very angry that an influential TV programme was even suggesting that the illest of people could overcome their OCD in such a short period and without too much grief.

The programme made reference to the 'fact' that whilst anxiety initially rises during exposure, it will fall within a relatively short time frame eg minutes on occasions. I will swear on my life that my anxiety had never fallen with the passage of time. I have tried focusing on the anxiety as suggested by one therapist and then diverting my focus onto something else as advocated by a different therapist and also in Brain Lock......but my anxiety continues to rise and rise until it all gets too much and my intrusive thoughts are running amock and my Tourettes kicks in. I know therapists have struggled to believe me when I say the anxiety never falls, but this is my experience of it during exposure. And I do not put any of this down to the therapist as both my CBT courses were undertaken by experienced therapists with a special interest in OCD and in fact one of them worked at the Maudsley with Prof Paul and is a strong advocate of his approach. At times when Paul was proudly telling us what happens to someone during exposure I felt like kicking the TV screen in

I do know that the severity of OCD for W, S and G was severe and clearly their lives had been turned upside down by OCD. However, I think I am right in saying that none of them experienced multiple facets of OCD ie their problems were severe yet relatively isolated. I think what I'm trying to say is that when I make any slight progress with one compulsive behaviour or ritual, any gain is negated by a deterioration in a different compulsion or ritual. Over the years some of my behaviour has remained constant and yet other aspects have fluctuated so that as one problem eases a touch another problem gets worse. I don't think this mullti-issue problem was put across in the programme, again it was all a bit too neat for me to agree with.

Dare I raise the question of why there was no one in the programme who had intrusive thoughts ie of the violent, sexual variety which is very common in pure 'o' folk. I actually spoke at length and in detail to Monkey Productions about the issue of obsessive thoughts and although I wasn't well enough to apply for a place in the house, I felt she had taken on board the sensitivity of intrusive thoughts and the shame/embarrassment they bring. Part of me wonders whether the panel who selected Wendy, Sophia and Gerrard didn't want anyone with a problem that was going to be more abstract and challenging for them to cure.......a bit messy perhaps?

I am a little sceptical that the TV company and indeed the therapists involved wanted 'happy ending' stories. Now obviously I don't know the outcome next week but I imagine that the programme will show a bit more angst especially when they go home but with people ultimately coming through it. I don' believe that someone as renowned as Paul Salkovskis would want to put his name to something that portrayed him or his methods in a negative way.

Now I know all the stuff about making good TV and you cannot represent every aspect of OCD, but we say that all the time. I have taken the programme very badly and have been in a very distressed state since last night. I do not believe it in any way indicated what it is like to live with an all encompassing OCD which includes intrusive thoughts. I felt like a deflated balloon when told that 'it all looks very straightforward' and why can't you do that. I feel let down with the way OCD was represented on national TV and am frankly annoyed with people like Prof S offering glib advice on how you can be cured by simply following x, y and z.

Very very rarely do I feel angry but today I feel totally frustrated and upset.

Thank you for listening

 

 

Therapist Team

Several people have commented on the apparent ease with which the participants on the TV programme managed to face their fears e.g. putting their hands down the toilet (Sophie) or placing glitter on themselves (Wendy) or posting postcards (Gerard), and the way in which the therapists seemed to focus on doing these tasks rather than discussion.

The unfortunate effect of this is that it gives the impression that no discussion was involved in the work which was done, that the tasks were relatively easy for the participants to do, and that we tend to focus solely on exposure-based work in therapy.

I think it's important to mention that the TV programme reduced two weeks of extremely hard work into about 90 minutes. The talking parts of therapy, where we very carefully discussed with the participants how their problems worked and what they needed to do to overcome them BEFORE doing any type of exposure-type work, did not make it into this 90 minutes of TV footage, probably because it was extremely detailed and may not have been regarded as making for exciting television. On average, though, I would say that each of us therapists talked all of these things through with each participant for 4 - 8 hours before doing any kind of exposure. So we didn't leap straight into touching toilet bowls; the participants were helped to make sense of how OCD works, how it would potentially be helpful to try doing things differently, and given the chance to discuss their concerns about this for many hours before this type of work was started. This vital ground work led to all 3 participants coming up with the ideas of what they wanted to test out themselves - the tasks were not prescribed by the therapists.

So:
1) the tasks were performed only after many hours of initial discussion - including working out how the problem works, what keeps it going, what the participants felt needed to be done, and what their concerns were about doing this;

2) the tasks were extremely difficult for all three participants to do. All of the tasks took tremendous courage and hard work to complete - moreover, they weren't just done as exercises, but were continuously applied - sometimes with setbacks or great upset.

3) we think that good therapy involves a lot more than asking people to face their fears - the purpose of doing these tasks was not to make the participants anxious, but to test out whether their feared predictions were true. To accomplish this we spent a lot of time doing cognitive therapy - asking the participants about their fears and predictions. Unfortunately very little of this was shown in the programme, probably due to time constraints. I would ideally liked to have seen the programme show the start of these hours of discussion (even for 1 minute), followed by a short display "8 hours of talking later" before going onto the shots of toilets & glitter etc.

The last point I'd like to discuss is the point which some people have raised about the programme giving people false hope. I don't think this is false hope - we didn't pick participants who we thought would be easy to treat, and the results of the programme weren't doctored or improved in any way to give people a happy ending. It is of course well known that many people with OCD either don't make progress in therapy, or fail to maintain their progress after it ends.

However, it is less well known that anybody with OCD can improve if they are given the opportunity to. What is needed is a complex combination of factors. What sufferers need is skilled and sensitive help (which doesn't necessarily have to be provided by a specialist centre). They need to work incredibly hard with a supportive and responsive therapist to overcome the problem, and be prepared to test their fears and beliefs. They also need to be supported in their efforts to change by those around them in a patient and understanding way.

Sadly, not everyone is able to do this, for a number of reasons involving all of these factors. When things go wrong, it is not anybody’s fault (with the possible exception of therapists such as ourselves!). Furthermore, it is entirely counter-productive to focus on what went wrong as opposed to thinking hard about how to make things go right in the next step. Beating OCD involves a process of learning about the problem and how it can best be dealt with by the person who is closest to it….the sufferer! Therapists and carers stand by and lend a hand or support when needed. In treatment we describe therapy as like a process of coaching, because the real work is done by the person with the coach (carer, therapist) encouraging and making suggestions from the sidelines.

What we liked about the programme is that it shows that where people are able to access the right combination of expert help and support from their loved ones, they are able to reap their rewards of their efforts, and improvement is the pretty much inevitable.'

We understand that some people have, as a result of the programme, found themselves criticized implicitly or explicitly by those around them. We have several things to say about this.

1. Criticising someone with OCD about their OCD is actually harmful, and in some instances may be the reason that the sufferer is not improving!! By definition people suffering from OCD are sensitive to criticism and blame, and offering criticism and blame will increase anxiety and therefore increase OCD. It might seem to family members that criticism is encouraging change, but as with so much else with OCD, what appears to be the solution actually becomes the problem!

2. Criticism is like saying to the sufferer “pull yourself together”. This is actually what every person with OCD (without exception) desperately wants to do. The problem they have is…..how? The point about Cognitive behavioural treatment is it tries to help each person to discover exactly how their problem works (and in every case this is different) then use this knowledge to deal with it better. The person then works with their therapist (and often their loved ones too) to find the most effective ways of continuing the fight. This is often a painful process of trial and error; therapists and those around the sufferer should be looking for ways of supporting the person in their efforts to change rather than giving them a hard time when things don’t go to plan.

So, a message, to carers and families; try to think about this problem as being a skill the person is learning, and your role of a coach or supporter. Should you keep a watchful eye out for mistakes and failures so that you can tell them how useless they are and that they are not trying hard enough - or is it better to help them build upon their strengths and stand amazed at their efforts against the odds?

 

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We would like your views on the Channel 4 documentary, 'The House of Obsessive Compulsives'. Your comments may be published on our website and in our newsletter.

 

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