What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

OCD is a term you’ve likely heard before. It’s frequently used by people to describe their preferences for cleanliness, particular ‘quirks’ they might have or specific rules — “I’m a bit OCD about this...”, “Oh you are so OCD!”. In movies and TV shows, characters with OCD are often depicted as eccentric, or their symptoms are played for laughs. Unfortunately, using this term incorrectly or lightly can be problematic for those who actually do suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as it can perpetuate misunderstandings about the disorder and trivialise their experiences. The light-hearted portrayals of OCD in media can also create an impression that OCD is a harmless personality quirk, rather than a serious mental health condition that can significantly impair a person’s quality of life.

 So what is OCD?

OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental health condition characterised by intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images or impulses (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions or rituals) that a person feels driven to perform. These obsessions and compulsions take up at least 1 hour each day (sometimes > 8 hours); cause high levels of distress and can impact functioning across all life areas. The World Health Organisation once rated OCD in the top 10 most disabling illnesses, which gives you an idea of the impact this disorder can have on an individual’s life. 

You can read more about some common obsessions and charactertics of OCD in a blog post here.

What does OCD treatment look like?

CBT-Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is the first line, ‘gold standard’ psychological treatment for OCD. As the name suggests, ERP involves helping people to gradually expose themselves to the things that trigger the OCD, and then preventing or reducing the compulsive behaviours over time.

This therapy helps people to learn that the intrusive thoughts do not have to be taken so seriously and further that they can cope with the anxiety, or discomfort, or doubt, without giving in to compulsions. Evidence has shown that ERP can be effectively delivered in person and online.