North & Central London

  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

What is OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder involving two elements: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive unwanted thoughts that make you feel anxious. Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or rituals.

With OCD you may feel that you must complete these rituals or behaviours to prevent something bad from happening. You may feel the need to constantly clean, check, complete a ritual or have institutive, repetitive thoughts. These can be difficult to resist and seem logical at the time.

Approximately 3% of the population experience OCD. It affects people from all different backgrounds. However OCD is easily treated with CBT, most people recover within 6-12 sessions, and return to a normal life.




Symptoms of OCD

Obsessive thoughts or a compulsion. The intensity or frequency can vary, often worse when you are particularly stressed. One person may clean the house 5 hours a day, another may have a checking ritual they must perform before leaving the house, while another may think of violence constantly.




Examples of obsessions include

  • fear of contamination or dirt
  • fear of harming yourself or others
  • intrusive sexual thoughts
  • fear of illness - Hypochondria
  • religious or moral issues
  • HOCD (fear of being Homosexual)
  • POCD (fear of being a Pedophile)



Common compulsions may be:

  • cleaning or putting things in a particular order
  • washing
  • counting
  • hoarding
  • touching/repeating




You may also feel:

  • stressed or anxious
  • annoyed and frustrated
  • down or depressed
  • a sense of shame (and a wish to hide your OCD from others)

OCD may affect other parts of your life, preventing you from being able function normally, your work or social life may be damaged. You may be more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as a way to escape or numb overwhelming feelings.




Get help for OCD

There is no reason why you should suffer the anxiety and distress of OCD.

I have succesfully treated a large number of OCD suffers, helping them become free of anxiety and compulsive thoughts and behaviours- and return to a normal life.

CBT therapy is short term and effective. CBT is the main therapy used in the NHS for OCD. This will help you take control of your life, reduce anxiety and overcome OCD - returning you to a healthy and normal life where anxiety does not interfere.






      Call or email now to start making changes in your life


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office@freemancbt.com