How do I go about getting diagnosed with OCD?

[Guest Hollyb123]

It has just dawned on me even though i have been suffering for 8 years on and off with this horrible condition, I have never been 'diagnosed' with OCD! Other than tell my doctor my symptoms and be put on medication (and now referred for CBT) just wondering if it would be beneficial to actually be diagnosed?

[PolarBear]

In order to be officially diagnosed you need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. They interview you. It doesn't take long and voila! You have your diagnosis.

Now the thing is, will it affect you at all? Some people have poor insight into their disorder and they need the diagnosis to sort of ground them and give them a starting point for their recovery. Others know very well they have OCD, can describe their obsessions and compulsions, know all about OCD and a diagnosis is just confirming what they already know.

It's your choice. In my case I thought I had OCD but wasn't aware that all of my mind troubles could be explained by OCD so my diagnosis came as a relief.

[Guest SurfRider]

So question on the diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with OCD, then undergo therapy and the compulsions are reduced to sub-clinical levels, are you still considered to officially have OCD? Or is the OCD considered to be "gone"? I don't know that I have ever received a signed written statement from a psychiatrist or psychologist saying that I officially have OCD, or what that statement would even mean if therapy were able to reduce compulsions to a sub-clinical level. There have been times in my life when the overt compulsions clearly met the criteria for diagnosis, and there have been times when the overt compulsions were much less active. The Pure-O has always been working in the background for me and has generally not been detected by the therapists and psychiatrists I've seen.

Edited February 9, 2016 by SurfRider