If you know someone with OCD, helping them feel supported will go a long way. Here are 3 quick tips to show your support.
Learn about what OCD is and isn’t
Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition that involves unwanted intrusive thoughts or images that lead to feelings of anxiety, fear, or disgust. Individuals with OCD feel driven to reduce the feelings of distress they experience from these thoughts by completing compulsions. Compulsions often take up a lot of time and interfere with day to day activities. Unfortunately, OCD has been misrepresented in the media and there is a lot of false information about the condition. OCD is not about preferring cleanliness or having a “quirk”. OCD can have a devastating impact on a person’s life, so understanding what OCD is and isn’t is essential in supporting someone with OCD.
Encourage their efforts
If you know someone is in treatment for OCD, recognize the effort involved in getting help. They may be in therapy, taking medication, or spending more time facing situations they have avoided. If they are willing to share, learn about what they are working on. Encourage them to keep the progress going. Recognize that their work takes time and it can feel really hard. If asked, consider participating in an exposure that they are working on with a professional.
Ask
Ask more about how you can help. It’s possible you could accidentally accommodate OCD, rather than a person’s progress. Giving reassurance is one way some unknowingly maintain OCD. While it may seem helpful, it only temporarily provides relief but backfires later. Instead, helping someone work through their discomfort without feeding the OCD will be beneficial in the long term. This doesn’t mean you become their coach out of session. Ask if the person has worked with their therapist about how to reduce compulsive reassurance seeking and how you can support that goal. Ask if there are other ways you can help them face a situation that they have struggled with before.
These tips are a great place to start, but know that there are many ways supporters can help someone work through OCD and feel less alone in the process.