Student Factsheet
For many, going to university is their first experience of living away from home. As is well documented for people with OCD, stress can cause symptoms to become worse. The student lifestyle can be very demanding and emotionally stressful, and this is one reason that for some OCD becomes its most severe during those university years.
This page has been provided to help you hopefully, to manage your OCD that little bit better
Use the Support Services Offered by your Uni
Start by visiting the university webiste, view course arrangements and student services including 'counselling and support', and how you can get help with OCD at uni.
Counselling
Students are normally offered a range of support services through the
‘Student Union’, a package partially funded by their tuition
fees, which normally includes a professional ‘counselling team’.
This team should act in a private and sensitive manner, being aware of
mental health issues and their impact on the sufferer. While the counselling
team may not be qualified to treat your OCD (treatment usually comes from
a qualified CBT therapist), it should be able to
help you cope with student life.
Exemptions and Extensions
If you find it difficult to complete your workload within the set deadlines
you may be eligible for extensions, extra time in examinations and other
special exemptions. You can explore this further by talking in confidence
to your tutor. Alongside their personal experiences, the teaching staff
is well aware of the demands faced by students in higher education. As
in any workplace, stress plays a factor in productivity, and OCD can cut
back the effectiveness in studying.
Managing Stress
The student lifestyle can be very demanding, considering the limited funds,
the amount of coursework and lectures, part-time work, housekeeping, alongside
leisure and socialising. With the extra burden of OCD to handle, living
independently whilst in full time education increases self-demands and
expectations. Fitting everyday tasks around OCD results in physical and
mental stress, which again leads to difficulty coping with OCD demons,
feeding a ‘vicious cycle’ of stress and OCD. There is a limit
to what a human being can tolerate stress-wise. Managing aspects of everyday
life in a healthy way can reduce stress despite the presence of OCD. Management
often is an empty word for those whose lifestyles are run with seemingly
little effort and stress. For OCD sufferers, however, everyday tasks are
not as straightforward due to the interference of OCD with its ‘bundles
of symptoms’, from acute anxiety and panic attacks, secret compulsive
behaviour, evasive low self esteem, perfectionism, to indecision.
The intrusion of OCD can easily lead to the neglect of personal care and interest due to its ‘demeaning’ nature. Therefore:
Firstly,
‘be kind to yourself’! Remember, you have a mental health
disorder, and hence your thinking ability and emotions are disordered
of no fault of your own.
Looking
after yourself through a healthy balance of ‘food, sleep and exercise’
will help provide the care and strength needed to cope with the stress
generated by OCD.
When
the intrusion of OCD is extreme, don’t force yourself into uncomfortable
circumstances. As it is with any illness, there is a limit to how much
stress you can (and are expected to) handle. Pre-awareness will help avoid
these situations and reduce stress. You will have your own routine and
approach to personal care. Remember, ‘no one is the same’
in how they handle their challenges. Achievement and success goes hand
in hand with looking after your mental health, so find and respect your
limits!
The
support of friends and family can take the burden of the secrecy involved
with OCD. Often, stress is caused by not being able to do what is desired,
due to the anxiety OCD causes. Continuously making excuses is frustrating.
Emotional support or expressing your 
feelings
to someone trusted can help reduce the stress of keeping this disappointment
inside. Taking this step is not easy, but the OCD-UK website can break
down the barriers of understanding and explanation. We can also send you
a condensed version of our website in our information booklet.
Download
the OCD-UK Information Booklet
Socialising
University is THE opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds
and cultures, or find good friends for life. But making friends or finding
a people who you can relate to is difficult for everyone. OCD or not,
it takes time to build new friendships. Remember, initially everyone is
starting out fresh, with same questions and insecurities, even if they
don’t show it! No one is superhuman! OCD sufferers commonly feel
isolated, being self-conscious about their behaviour being different,
perhaps even ‘weird’ to others. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour
can potentially be misunderstood or misinterpreted as ‘negative’
or ‘rude’ due to the secrecy and discomfort acted out. However,
many people will be unaware of it, because they are too busy dealing with
their own insecurities, or disregard OCD behaviour as what they feel is
‘normal’ behaviour. Worrying what other people may perceive
as ‘normal’ or unnoticeable will act as an initial barrier
to any type of socialising. Everyone is different, so be proud of who
you are! If you are comfortable with yourself, so will other people. Once
settled in a social group, you will be more comfortable about people becoming
aware of your OCD and any issues affecting a relationship. If they are
your friends, they will accept you with your OCD.
The Student Union has many societies for different tastes and interests, offering a chance to meet other students, so have a look! Don’t feel you are alone even if your social circle is small or limited, as independent living can feel like this for anyone. You may feel more dependent on others, but it is likely that many others will, unnoticed by you, feel that way to.
It’s very easy to hyperventilate or unknowingly hold the breath when panic sets in. When feeling uncomfortable in a social situation, become aware of your breathing. Regulate it with slow deep breathing through the nose, fill the chest and exhale out of the mouth.
It can be quite tempting to seek relief from OCD and other mental health
problems through recreational drinking and drug consumption. Be aware
that using these substances will offer only a short term fix and usually
the next morning the OCD will be even worse. The only way of combating
OCD long term is professional medical treatment.
Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
Students suffering from OCD may not be aware that they may qualify for
extra funding through Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs).
Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) provide help for students who, because
of their disability, have additional costs. It is available to full- and
part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students. Part-time students
must be studying at least 50 per cent of a full-time course. An assessment
will be carried out by an experienced assessor to find out the level of
support you are eligible for. You may need to have a supporting GP's report.
The money you may get from DSA does not count as 'income' so you may still qualify for Income Support or Housing Benefit, should you do need to apply.
You can contact your LEA in England and Wales and SAAS if you are in Scotland for further information.
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