How To Support Someone With OCD

When a loved one is diagnosed with OCD, it can be a difficult time with many new concerns. What can you do to help them, and how can you show love and support?

In this article, we’ll discuss how to support someone with OCD so that you can better understand your loved ones and help them through their compulsions.

Remind Them That You Care

Everyone can get nervous and unsure when OCD comes into play. One main way to support your loved one is to remind them that you love and support them. Show up when they need you to and reassure them that you care about them. That doesn’t mean that you should always indulge and offer positive reassurance, but being present and honest will help long term.

Show them genuine care and affection without accommodating the need for reassurance that fuels their OCD. It may seem counterintuitive, but it will help support them.

Try to Understand Compulsions

Learning all that you can about OCD will help you better understand what your loved one is going through. Family and friends that educate themselves on treatment options and how to avoid enabling compulsions allow themselves and their loved one to grow.

Your loved one may not want to engage in compulsive behaviours, but talk to them to discuss what you can do to help them through it. Don’t enable their behaviours, as that may make symptoms worse, but see if you can have an open and honest discussion about how they feel and what you can do to ease their mind.

Don’t Reinforce Behaviours

Reinforcing behaviours may make matters worse when it comes to OCD. To support your loved one with OCD, you have to try and break the cycle.

If they ask you to do something or try to change plans due to a ritual, gently remind them why that cannot happen. It may seem counterintuitive to stress them out instead of satiating them, but breaking the cycle allows you and your loved one to take one step away from the compulsion and one step closer to recovery.

Exposure and Response Therapy

One treatment option that provides support is CBT Therapy. Unwanted stress from thoughts and behaviours can be alleviated with successful treatment. Over time, patients will learn how to handle their OCD and how to bear compulsions without acting on them immediately.

Therapy helps them learn to cope with the triggers instead of responding to compulsive behaviours. A licensed medical professional can help support a loved one suffering from OCD symptoms so that you can better support them at home. When you approach the matter from all sides with a positive attitude, you create a safe environment for your loved one to begin their journey.

The Bottom Line

No matter what happens, your loved one needs to know you’re there for them. Make an effort to show you care and seek treatment options if your loved one is ready to take that step.

OCD & CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for OCD disorders. This type of therapy teaches you how to modify the negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to your condition. It also helps you develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Access CBT offer CBT treatment for all types of depressive and anxiety disorder issues with in-person depression CBT Counselling in Liverpool or Online Support

The NHS UK also offers a number of support groups and advice for those suffering from OCD disorders