It can be extremely difficult for young people to talk about OCD, how they feel or what behaviours they are struggling with, that’s why we have created this booklet. Our ‘struggling to talk’ booklet aims to help young people communicate their obsessions and compulsions to loved ones and carers so they can better understand how their child is feeling, and how they can support them.

This booklet might be helpful for young people who are struggling to talk about what they are struggling with face-to-face, and it could also be helpful for any young person who is struggling to verbalise their struggles too.

Please note, this booklet is created for teens aged 13 and over. OCD can often latch on to themes and thoughts of harm, taboo, or sexual nature which is important to include in this booklet to ensure that any young person experiencing these themes feels less alone and understood.

These themes are extremely common with OCD, and you can read more about this in the ‘worries’ section of this booklet. The nature of taboo themes can often be the reason why someone is struggling to talk in the first place. If you are worried about some of the taboo natured content of the booklet, we recommend reading through it first before you hand it over to your child/young person.