What is OCD?

The first thing to know is that there are lots of different kinds of OCD problems. Some young people are bothered by upsetting thoughts or pictures that come into their mind over and over again. They don't want to have these thoughts or pictures but they can't stop them. We call these thoughts and pictures OBSESSIONS . Obsessions happen even though you don't want them to and they are really difficult to get rid of no matter how hard you try.

Some young people with OCD feel like they have to do something over and over again even though they don't want to do it and it might not even make sense. These kind of behaviours are called COMPULSIONS and are sometimes known as RITUALS . Some young people sometimes feel very upset or worried until they have done them.

Obsessional problems can make people feel really bad. Some people feel worried, some people feel sad or depressed, and some people just feel that things are not right. Obsessional problems can get so bad that people don't have time to do anything else. They spend all their time worrying or checking things or washing or doing some other kind of obsessional behaviour. This can get in the way of schoolwork, friendships, hobbies or almost anything else.

What causes OCD?

We do not completely know why people get OCD, but we think there are some reasons that increase the chances of someone getting OCD. For example, children and teenagers who develop OCD often feel very 'responsible' for causing or stopping harm happening to themselves or other people like their mum or dad. This feeling of being 'very responsible' can increase the chances of OCD. Other things that increase the chances of getting OCD include awful things that go on for a long time (like being bullied) or awful things that happen all of a sudden (such as someone dying). Feeling depressed for a long time can also increase the chances.

Other possible reasons include the idea that the brain works differently in people with OCD and the idea that chances of getting OCD increase if other family members have it too. But the good news is that no matter what causes OCD, it can be treated with therapy called cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

How many people have OCD?

It looks like between 1.9% and 3% of children and young people suffer from OCD. That might not mean much to you but think about this. In the United Kingdom there's approximately 12million children and young people (under the age of 16) so round about 300,000 of them have OCD. That's a lot of young people - in fact that's enough young people to fill the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Twickenham Stadium in London, Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and the National Stadium in Belfast! So remember, you're not alone in having OCD.

Most young people who have OCD do not try to get help because they are afraid other people might think they're stupid or crazy for doing so. Trying to get help ISN'T stupid or crazy, it's a fantastic idea and the great news is that you can get help for OCD and then get back to doing all the things you want to be doing rather than the rituals OCD makes you do. You'll find out about getting treatment for OCD on these pages too.

Am I going mad?

NO! People who have obsessional problems are not crazy or insane. They have become so worried about something that it gets in the way of doing ordinary things and enjoying life.

Will people think I'm mad if I have to see a psychologist?

Seeing a psychologist or a therapist doesn't mean you're mad. Think about this: If you have toothache you go to the dentist and they solve the problem, if you break your leg you see a doctor and they fix you up. If you have a problem like OCD a psychologist or a therapist can help you get better.

Everything you tell your therapist is private so no-one needs to know about the problems you are having unless you want them to.

Can OCD be treated?

From the research that doctors and psychologists have done so far we know that it's important to treat OCD as early as possible.

We already know that a particular kind of treatment can help people with OCD. This treatment is called cognitive-behaviour therapy; also know as CBT for short. When people do CBT they learn how thoughts, feelings and what they do are connected. They also learn how to deal with upsetting thoughts and feelings. CBT works well for people with many different problems, such as panic attacks, fears like that of spiders or injections, and depression. We are sure that CBT works for adults with OCD, and we have lots of good experiences working with CBT and OCD in young people.

How can I get help for my OCD?

If you think you have OCD and you want to get help then the first thing you should do is talk to your parents or someone else you feel close to. They can contact your family doctor and make an appointment to talk about your worries. Your doctor can then tell you about people in your area who know how to treat OCD.

What happens in treatment sessions?

Once you have been assessed and it has been decided that this treatment might be helpful, a number of appointments will be arranged. Each appointment will last up to one and a half hours. Your therapist may also want to visit you at home at some point during treatment. As well as coming to these appointments, you will carry out experiments and practice what you have learnt between sessions. You will also need to listen to an audio-tape of each session. There will be no 'surprises' during treatment and you and your therapist will work together, but you may also need to be brave at times to try out new ways of doing things.

Is anyone doing research on OCD?

Lots of doctors, psychologists and therapists spend their time trying to find out exactly what OCD is, what causes it and how they can help young people who have it. A team of experts at a place called the Institute of Psychiatry and a similar group at the University of Reading recently completed a research project which looked at ways to treat children and adolescents who have OCD. The type of treatment we used is called cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT).

We treated 110 young people between the ages of 10 - 18 who had OCD using cognitive-behaviour therapy.

Why did we do this research?

Here's what we hope to achieve with our recent research:

• To show that CBT can help children and young people recover from OCD
• To show that therapists can give you tips about CBT that you can put into practice on your own
• Our team will write a book which can be used by other doctors and therapists to help other young people with problems like yours
• To show how the treatment can make your life better

What happens with the results of our research project?

What we have learned from carrying out our recent research will be used in two different ways. Firstly we will publish the results in medical journals or magazines so that other doctors, psychologists and therapists can learn from what we've found out about OCD and CBT. We will also write a book which will be used as a guide for doctors, psychologists and therapists all over the United Kingdom when they're treating people like you who have OCD.

Where else can I find out about OCD?

There are lots of organisations which provide information about OCD and other anxiety problems. These can be really helpful if you've got OCD yourself or if someone you know has OCD and you want to get information for them. Here are a few of the organisations you could get in touch with:

OCD-UK
Tel: 0845 120 3778 or 0870 126 9506
Website: www.ocduk.org
Download further information on OCD from OCD-UK

OCD Action
Tel: 0845 390 6232
Website: www.ocdaction.org.uk

Anxiety UK (formerly National Phobics Society)
Tel: 08444 775 774
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk

No Panic
Tel: 0808 808 0545
Website: www.nopanic.org.uk