Living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition which is characterised by overwhelming obsessive thoughts and compulsions.

People with OCD frequently experience severe anxiety as the result of obsessive thoughts. These distressing thoughts are accompanied by rituals or compulsions, which are used to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and there are serval sub-types of OCD. These include an obsession with cleanliness or germs, an obsession with symmetry or order, and hoarding.

OCD can significantly impact on a person’s ability to fully participate in or complete daily activities. Naturally, this can have a dramatic impact on your overall and workplace wellbeing. Our professional assessments, reports, therapies and treatments can help you to manage your day to day symptoms and get on with the things that are important to you.

How can KMA help?

Assessments

If you have OCD, an assessment from KMA will determine how your symptoms are affecting your everyday life and workplace wellbeing. This could include something specific such being able to return to, or remain in, the workplace or to take part in activities that you used to enjoy. It could also be a more generalised decrease in your overall functional ability, meaning you find it difficult to initiate any activities, as your symptoms take over.

During the assessment your Occupational Therapist will have a detailed but sensitive conversation with you. This will focus on both your strengths and the areas where you are experiencing problems. To assist this process, your Occupational Therapist may utilise a variety of assessment tools depending on your needs.

As our focus at KMA is on helping you improve what you are able to do each day, our assessment will pay particular attention to your daily routine. For example, your role as a parent, an employee or a business executive. This will enable us to understand the impact your symptoms are having on your everyday life and workplace wellbeing so we can identify realistic and achievable goals with you, to increase your functional performance and your overall quality of life.

Reports

KMA will produce a detailed yet accessible report of your assessment. The report will provide a summary of the barriers that are getting in the way of you fulfilling your roles and routines as you would wish and make a number of recommendations to help. We aim to get the report back to you within 10 working days of the assessment.

Therapies and treatment

If you believe that you have OCD, it is important to seek medical advice from your GP in the first instance, in addition, occupational therapy can also be an important part of managing OCD and reducing its impact on your life and this is where KMA can help.

KMA’s Occupational Therapists are highly trained and experienced – they are passionate about providing evidence-based interventions to improve your functional performance and workplace wellbeing. Each treatment plan will be individual, underpinned by occupational therapy philosophy, taking a person-centred and strengths-based approach. Our ultimate aim is to help you achieve your goals and improve your functional performance.

Our occupational therapist will work with you to understand triggers, barriers and established strategies you currently use. They will also help you to learn and put into practice techniques that help control your symptoms as well as allowing you to focus on your roles and routines. These may include:

Do you have difficulty…

View our case study about Paul, a 40 year old man with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).