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How to Support Someone with OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) presents itself in many different themes and the sufferer may carry out many different rituals, sometimes completely different between each sufferer. And although the thoughts and rituals can differ between each sufferer, there are many things you can do to support a loved one with OCD. 

  1. Be patient. 
This is probably the best thing anyone can do to help an OCD sufferer. Whether it's dealing with time consuming rituals or supporting them through devastating intrusive thoughts, being patient and realising that OCD can be managed, but never really cured is sometimes the best you can do for them. Let them know you're there to listen, support them, and don't give up on them. 

  1. Listen
Even when I feel like my thoughts are crazy and horrible, it is a huge comfort to know that I'm not suffering in silence. Listening to someone who opens up about their intrusive thoughts and fears can do a great deal of help for them, even if you don't know how to react to them. 

  1. Support without enabling 
Supporting an OCD sufferer can keep them going throughout the misery that is OCD, but it's important to know how to support them without enabling their behaviours. Try not to give them reassurance too often, as seeking reassurance is a ritual of its own, and can make the OCD worse by comforting them repeatedly to lessen their anxiety. 

  1. Don't judge them
Living with intrusive thoughts and exhausting rituals is hard enough on it's own, so letting the sufferer know that they are not being judged is important. Just remember, intrusive thoughts cannot be helped, and they are in no way a reflection of their character. Be kind, be understanding. 



  1. Respect confidentiality 
Unless they have asked you to let other people know, never go around telling others about someone's OCD, no matter how harmless you think it is. OCD is incredibly difficult to live with and manage- don't make it any harder than it has to be. 

  1. Respect their decisions 
No matter how the sufferer chooses to manage or live with their OCD, respect it. Seeing a therapist, taking medication, doing ERP, these are all incredibly difficult and big- sometimes even scary decisions. It's impossible to truly understand OCD unless you live with it. Respect the sufferer and their choices. 

  1. Don't mock them
OCD jokes, although not intentionally harmful, can make the sufferer feel like the illness that has such a tight grip on their life, is just a joke to most people. Remember what they've told you, how much they go through and how much they sufferer. OCD isn't funny, it is painful and terrifying. 

  1. Let them know they aren't alone
As with any mental and physical illness, it's a great way to show they are supported by just telling them they aren't alone. Letting them know they aren't alone is a great way of showing that they always have someone to talk to, and that OCD doesn't have to be faced alone. 

See also- You're Not "So OCD"- The Reality of Rituals 


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