OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder, can affect far more than cleanliness and tidiness. For many people, OCD involves intrusive thoughts, overwhelming anxiety, compulsive behaviours and an exhausting need for certainty.
You might know that your thoughts don't make sense, but still feel unable to stop them.
You might repeatedly check, seek reassurance, analyse conversations, avoid certain situations or spend hours trying to work out whether something you've thought or done means something about you.
As a counsellor offering OCD counselling in Norwich and online counselling across the UK, I understand how difficult it can be to talk about experiences that may feel frightening, embarrassing or difficult to explain.
What is OCD?
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental health condition involving obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Obsessions are unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, urges or fears that repeatedly enter your mind. They can create significant anxiety or distress.
Compulsions are behaviours or mental processes that you feel driven to carry out in response to those thoughts or feelings.
Compulsions can include:
- Repeatedly checking doors, appliances or messages
- Cleaning or washing
- Seeking reassurance from other people
- Repeating words, numbers or actions
- Avoiding particular people, places or situations
- Mentally reviewing something that happened
- Analysing your thoughts or feelings
- Searching online for reassurance
- Trying to prove that an intrusive thought isn't true
Not all compulsions are visible. Some people experience mental compulsions, which can make OCD particularly difficult for others to recognise.
Intrusive thoughts and OCD
One of the most distressing aspects of OCD can be intrusive thoughts.
You might experience a thought that feels completely unacceptable or out of character. You may then become frightened by the fact that you had it.
You might find yourself wondering:
- What if this thought means something about me?
- What if I secretly want this?
- Why would I think something like that?
- What if something terrible happens because I didn't check?
The more frightening the thought feels, the more important it can begin to seem.
This can lead to a cycle of analysing, checking and seeking reassurance.
It's important to remember that having an intrusive thought doesn't automatically mean that you want it, believe it or intend to act on it.
OCD and anxiety
OCD and anxiety can become closely connected.
An intrusive thought may trigger anxiety. You then do something to reduce that anxiety, such as checking, avoiding, asking for reassurance or mentally reviewing what happened.
The anxiety may temporarily decrease.
But when the doubt returns, the urge to perform the compulsion can return too.
Over time, this can become an exhausting cycle: Intrusive thought → anxiety → compulsion → temporary relief → doubt → anxiety again.
This is one reason OCD can become so time-consuming and disruptive.
Different types of OCD
OCD doesn't look the same for everyone.
Some people experience contamination fears or checking compulsions, while others experience predominantly intrusive thoughts and mental compulsions.
OCD can involve:
- Contamination and cleaning
- Checking
- Fear of causing harm
- Health-related fears
- Relationship OCD
- Sexual or unwanted intrusive thoughts
- Moral or religious fears
- Perfectionism and fear of making mistakes
- Reassurance seeking
- Mental reviewing and rumination
You don't need to fit neatly into one category to deserve support.
How can counselling help with OCD?
Finding an OCD counsellor in Norwich can give you somewhere to talk openly about what you're experiencing without fear of judgement.
You might want to understand why particular thoughts feel so frightening, explore how OCD is affecting your relationships or confidence, or simply have somewhere you don't need to hide what is happening.
I won't judge you based on your intrusive thoughts.
I believe you are the expert on your own experience, and my role is to offer a supportive, accepting and non-judgemental space in which we can explore what is happening for you.
Is counselling the right treatment for OCD?
It's important to be clear that different forms of therapy can be appropriate for different people.
CBT with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialist evidence-based treatment for OCD and may be recommended for someone experiencing significant OCD symptoms.
Counselling can offer a different kind of therapeutic space, particularly where someone wants to explore the emotional impact of OCD, their relationship with themselves, relationships with others, self-esteem and the wider experiences surrounding their difficulties.
If you are unsure what type of support would be most appropriate, this is something we can discuss during an initial conversation. I offer a suitability call free of charge.
You don't have to explain everything perfectly
Talking about OCD can feel difficult, particularly when your thoughts feel frightening or embarrassing.
You don't have to arrive at counselling knowing exactly what is wrong.
You don't have to have your thoughts organised.
You don't have to be able to explain why you're struggling.
Sometimes you simply know that something doesn't feel right anymore.
If you're looking for OCD counselling in Norwich, I offer counselling for young adults and adults in Norwich, as well as online and telephone counselling across the UK.
Whether you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviours, anxiety, reassurance seeking or the impact OCD is having on your relationships and everyday life, you don't have to face it on your own.
If you'd like to explore whether counselling could be right for you, you can arrange a free 15-minute suitability call to talk about what you're looking for and ask any questions you may have.
You don't need to have all the answers before you reach out.
If you'd like to talk to someone, you can find out more about my OCD counselling in Norwich here.