1. FIXATE Facebook group 

Fixate is an online community for people in New Zealand who live with OCD or support someone with OCD. It is a closed Facebook group where individuals, partners and family members post informative articles or make recommendations about podcasts or Youtube clips which they feel are helpful.

Some people like to post a little about their situation and open a discussion.Many individuals living with OCD, of course, may find it difficult to reach out for this type of support. They may be embarrassed about their thoughts and their compulsions, they may be feeling incredibly scared, angry and anxious.  Please respect their bravery.

It is also a way for people to connect. You may like to meet up for a chat in person, or message or phone each other purely as a way of talking through any issues and to feel that you are not alone.

One of the things that comes through in the literature about OCD, is that for both individuals with OCD, and the caregiver, sharing information can go a long way in helping realising they, or you, are not alone.

If you want to join, simple search for Fixate on Facebook and ask to join. If you don’t feel comfortable with Facebook, another way to contact us and to have a conversation is to email ocd.org.nz@gmail.com

We are volunteers, not therapists and as such, it is up to you to determine what you want to ‘take’ from these connections.

2. TALKING WITH YOUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

The first step if you are concerned for yourself or a family member is to have an open discussion with a health professional such as your GP or midwife. They may assist you by referring you. Or you may like to begin by talking to a friend or a helpline ( see resources section). It is important to reach out and explain what you are feeling and experiencing.

One or more of these resources below may be useful to have on hand in an appointment setting as your health professional may not be familiar with the many different ways in which OCD can manifest and with OCD specific treatment. 

The article Recognising and Managing OCD in Primary Care by BPAC NZ is intended for Health professionals in NZ. If you are going to see your GP, midwife, or other professional, it maybe helpful to take a copy of this article along with yo. It will help you to describe your situation and discuss your options. 

For new parents, the brochure Perinatal OCD on the PADA webpage is a useful resource to share and discuss with a friend, family member or health professional.

This is a useful Australian article about the role of the GP and may help you to think of questions to ask your GP or help you be prepared to discuss compulsions which might be overt or hidden.

People often find it difficult to share the nature of their unwanted thoughts and are concerned that their health professional may misunderstand. The OCD-UK resource GP Ice Breaker can help someone introduce the topic or open the discussion, especially if the thoughts are of a taboo sexual or violent nature. The OCD-UK webpage Risk Assessment in OCD explains the difference between fear and intent and may also be helpful.

3. WHAT KIND OF THERAPY IS SUITABLE FOR OCD? 

You are likely to want to find a therapist that is experienced in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and specifically in treatment of OCD.

The word ‘cognitive’ in CBT refers to specific methods and techniques that help change faulty ideas and beliefs, including those prevalent in OCD. The word ‘behaviour’ refers to methods  for changing behaviour or the actions, such as compulsive rituals of OCD. It can include many approaches and techniques. 

One CBT therapy shown to be effective for OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).This may be complemented by another type of CBT therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). 

There are many references to ERP, how it works and what to expect. Please see some examples and further information here from OCD UK and Understanding Exposure Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a type of CBT that combines acceptance and mindfulness practices together to help people with OCD develop more flexible thinking patterns. ACT is not about eliminating intrusive thoughts. It is about learning to be at peace with the thoughts, and to distance their occurrence from your sense of identity.

(Sourced from www.intrusivethoughts.org). You can read more here

You can read more about ACT from the IOCDF and there are numerous podcast episodes on The OCD stories e.g Episode 151 by Russ Harris, author of the Happiness Trap ( see resources section).

4. HOW TO FIND THERAPY IN NEW ZEALAND

It is extremely important to check that your therapist is SPECIFICALLY experienced in OCD treatment.

 You might like to consider using this site at the NZ College of Clinical Psychologists to find a therapist in your area or one who offers online treatment

Also you could try this link at the New Zealand Psychological Society and used the ‘search’ options to find a suitable psychologist.

The Just a Thought website offers a free online CBT course for OCD.

It can be difficult to access a NZ therapist with specific expertise in OCD, so some people consider the US based online treatment centre NOCD.

Finally, another option is to join the FIXATE Facebook group and simply ask other members for their suggestions and it is for you to decide whether or not to pursue those. 

5. CHOOSING A THERAPIST 

Because treatment can be expensive and time consuming, it is important to select your therapist carefully. Unfortunately, it can take some people years to be diagnosed so it is important to find a therapist who is right for you.

Possible questions to ask your therapist:-

What techniques or methods do you generally use to treat OCD? If CBT or behavioural therapy are mentioned, then ask what kinds of behavioural therapy are used? You would hope to hear about ERP and/or ACT.

Are you registered and with whom?

  • What is your experience with OCD? How many patients have they treated, do they know someone who has it?
  • Where did you learn about OCD treament? (Training and experience is important. Look for someone who has had intensive training in CBT for anxiety disorders and ongoing case supervision).
  • Would you be willing to leave your office to do exposure and response prevention as needed? (Flexibility is key here).
  • Do you support the use of appropriate medication for OCD when needed? 

It’s also important to ask yourself a few questions. Consider if you feel you’ll get along with them, can you talk comfortably and openly, can you trust their knowledge and expertise. You must also be willing to do whatever he or she says is necessary to make progress, so trust is key. 

Here is a short article from Voices of Hope as to what to consider when finding a therapist.

There are numbers different forms a clinician might use to determine the severity of OCD symptoms. The score on the scale can help determine the kind of help you may need. It may be used at the beginning and end of your journey to monitor progress. This one is called the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale ( Y-BOCS) but there are others. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2527/cd18859a78f210cca0a92d25f739716d8978.pdf

You may also like to investigate some self help options. Please refer to the Resources section on this website. One guide that continually pops up in the literature is ‘The OCD Workbook’ which is a step by step guide to overcoming OCD with helpful hints for family members. It discusses detailing a hierachy of exposures (situations or ‘experiments’) to help you to face your obsessions whilst not engaging in exposures.

6. PSYCHIATRISTS AND MEDICATION 

Please see here for some information concerning medications which might be prescribed.

The first line medication for treating OCD are in the class of drugs know as antidepressants, specifically the selective reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs).  

The power of medications is to rapidly reduce anxiety, relieve depressive symptoms and improve mood, focus, and concentration. This can give the person a big leg up in the facing the work of CBT.

Ultimately, many people with OCD will experience the greatest benefits from a combination of medication and CBT , the former delivered usually by a psychiatrist and the latter delivered by a psychologist or therapist specifically trained in the use of CBT techniques of OCD symptoms.

To find our more about psychiatrists and what their role is. You will also find a Search for a psychiatrist on this site .