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Before any kind of treatment for OCD can commence you should always consult your GP. Many GPs still have little or no knowledge of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, although thankfully this is now slowly changing. OCD often goes unrecognised and undiagnosed by GPs, frequently because of the patient’s reluctance to divulge their symptoms due to their feelings of embarrassment. It is also sometimes misdiagnosed as depression, the depression often a result of the OCD. You may therefore, have to tell your GP what OCD is as well as what your symptoms are. You may also wish to refer your GP to the NICE guidelines for OCD.

If you are not sure what to say to your GP, then we have created a printout to pass on to your GP to break the ice. You can download it and print for free, or send a SAE and we will return a copy to you.

Your GP should refer you to your Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) or its local equivalent, where you are likely to be seen by an appropriate psychologist or psychiatrist who will ensure correct diagnosis and a course of treatment. You may then be treated by either a psychologist, psychiatrist or another mental health professional.

Our guide on finding a suitable therapist may be of help for those looking to go private.

When you first see a health care professional about your symptoms, it’s very important that you are honest and open about your thoughts and behaviours, no matter how embarrassing they may seem. Almost certainly, they have heard it all before – and by being honest, you will help them to identify the most suitable treatment for you.

Many OCD sufferers have depression and thoughts about harming themselves or suicide – it’s important to discuss these feelings.

It’s likely that a team of people – your GP, a psychologist or therapist, a psychiatrist and a psychiatric community nurse – will be involved in your care. You should ask for a written agreement about their roles and the form your care will take. This agreement should be discussed with you and, if appropriate, your family or carers.

The treatment found to be the most effective in successfully treating OCD is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), although some people find they also need the additional support of medications to help them through the therapy, these will usually be SSRI medications (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor Medications).

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) should also form part of the CBT treatment, this involves being exposed in a very structured way with the support of your therapist to what makes you feel anxious, and not doing checking or other rituals after.

Medication is not recommended as a sole treatment method. It will sometimes work by reducing the severity of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or by ‘taking the edge off’ some of the anxiety precipitated by OCD, but CBT should always be the principal method of treatment. Medication can always be introduced alongside CBT to act as ‘water wings’, to ease the anxiety and make the CBT that little bit easier to face.

In practice, you may be offered drug treatment straightaway because of a waiting list for CBT.

Towards the end of psychological treatment, your healthcare professional should advise you on how you can use the techniques you have learned if symptoms come back.

Some sufferers include alternative therapies and dietary factors in tackling their OCD. Success of these methods is not clinically proven but you may wish to consider these and seek professional advice on what may help you.

Group Therapy
You should always receive individual one-to-one therapy, but sometimes it is helpful for people who have the same type of OCD problems to receive therapy as a group. Sharing sessions with other people helps you to realise you’re not alone with your problem and enables each member to contribute to the progress and wellbeing of the others. However group therapy should not be offered to you as a sole treatment because this won’t be tailored to your individual needs and it may not have the same impact as individual treatment.

Alternative Treatments - Right and Wrong?
Alternative methods of treatment, like Hypnotherapy, are also being investigated these days, some with varying degrees of success. However, there is no medical evidence to suggest how effective such alternative treatment methods are, so at the present time such alternatives can't be specifically recommended. Nonetheless, it should be noted that such methods can help some individuals where all other options have failed.

Fish oils and Herbal Remedies are a very useful aid to helping improve a sufferer’s mood, especially if the patient is prone to Depression. Daily supplementation of a high quality fish oil is thought to be safe and may not only improve your mood, but help protect you from heart disease, stroke and arthritis as well.

Of course many sufferers decide to try and beat OCD themselves using resources they pick up from self-help books, support groups and websites like this one.

Remember that whether seeking professional help or going down the self-help route: Knowledge is Power - the more you know about OCD, the better equipped you and your family will be to deal with it.

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