Getting help ASAP
September 21st 2015
As soon as you think you may have OCD, you should try to start getting help.
You may want to avoid or put off going to your GP, telling a family member etc, out of shame, fear or embarrassment but it is important to get help as soon as possible.
Why?
1) OCD can very quickly get worse- literally from day to day, you can find yourself being bothered by obsessions more and more, and doing more and more compulsions. Additionally, stressful situations can make OCD worse, so if you notice you are persistently bothered by obsessions and compulsions, it can be useful to seek help even outside of the most stressful times, so that when something that causes your OCD to get worse does come along, you already are having treatment.
2) OCD is easier to treat the earlier you seek help- like most other illnesses, including mental illnesses. It will be easier to get out of the cycle of OCD the less severe it is, and the less time you have spent suffering from OCD.
3) Treatment takes time, so obviously the sooner you start, the sooner you will find what is right for you etc. Especially if you decide/are prescribed to take medication, some take a few weeks to start to take effect, so the earlier you start, the sooner you will notice positive effects.
4) Most importantly, you don’t need to be bothered by or suffer from OCD for any longer than you currently have been.
While most definitions of OCD I have seen define it as a debilitating illness, and while this is often true, one can have OCD that can be manageable or that is less severe. Even if obsessions and compulsions are“just” bothering you consistently, while not completely dominating your life, you can still have OCD and still get treatment.
