Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; OCD
What Is It?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood. It’s not just about tidiness or liking things ‘just so’. At its core, OCD involves two parts:
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Obsessions: unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that cause distress
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Compulsions: repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to try to reduce the anxiety those thoughts create
Someone with OCD might:
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Repeatedly check locks, taps, or appliances
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Carry out rituals or routines to feel ‘safe’
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Experience distressing thoughts they can’t control about harm, contamination, or morality
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Avoid situations that might trigger obsessions
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Use mental reassurance or ‘neutralising’ thoughts to quiet the anxiety
People with OCD usually know their thoughts are irrational. But the urge to be 100% certain, to eliminate even the smallest doubt, can become all-consuming.
The OCD Cycle
What begins as an attempt to reduce anxiety often creates a long-term trap.
Obsessions → Anxiety → Compulsions → Temporary relief → More doubt → More compulsions. Sometimes OCD can occur without compulsions, known as 'pure o'. In trying to get rid of the discomfort, the brain learns that compulsions ‘work’ — reinforcing the need to repeat them. But over time, compulsions tend to grow, not shrink. The more you try to eliminate doubt, the more powerful it becomes.
Need Urgent Help Right Now?
If things feel urgent and it's out of hours, support is available 24/7:
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Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7) NHS
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Urgent Mental Health Helpline: Call 111 and press option 2
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Open Mental Health Somerset (24/7): 01823 276 892
Websites & Resources:
How Therapy Can Help
You don’t have to be trapped in this cycle forever. Therapy for OCD is effective, especially when tailored to you. Treatments like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a gold-standard approach, help retrain the brain’s response to fear without reinforcing compulsions.
Other approaches include:
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to challenge unhelpful beliefs
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Somatic or trauma-informed work to support nervous system regulation
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Mindfulness-based tools that train your mind to sit with uncertainty, rather than feed the loop
With the right support, many people learn to live well with OCD — even if the thoughts don’t disappear, they no longer control your life.
Therapy with us:
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£70 for individual therapy (trauma informed)
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£80 trauma specialist therapy online and in-person
