Tez

Hello All I have just popped back from my local newsagents, where I bought a copy of today's "Guardian". There is an article inside on research that has been published claiming that brain stimulation procedures can assist people experiencing very severe and refractive OCD. Thought I would mention it so that you can visit their website for the full article. Best wishes Tez

Hi Guys As someone who has always a read a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, I was interested to pick up a copy of the African-Caribbean newspaper The Voice this week and see that the lead article was an appeal from the "Time to Change" Mental Health coalition for black women to speak out about their mental health experiences. Nikki Llewellyn, speaking for the coalition, said that black British women were statistically more likely to experience anxiety disorders and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. She said that "being a strong woman does not mean staying silent" and encouraged black women to get involved in campaigns to end stigma around mental health needs. Nice to see The Voice newspaper putting such an important appeal on its front page. Tez

Hello All I know that the website lists 7th to 13th October in 2019 as Awareness Week.... is there anything taking place this year? Many thanks! Tez

Hi All Just popping this here because the man affected is disabled by OCD, anxiety and a range of other mental and physical health issues. It's a story from the Disability News Service, a useful web portal that I consult regularly. Mr Keith Morgan has gone on record to detail a veritable litany of obstructions and maltreatment that he has experienced in claiming benefits. https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/atos-assessor-told-gay-man-he-was-defective-and-needed-to-be-cured-by-god/ The homophobic aspects of Mr Morgan's treatment have also been picked up by the gay newswire Pink News: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/06/15/man-offered-gay-cure-therapy-by-his-disability-benefits-assessor/ Kind regards Tez

Hello All Issue 3180 of the New Scientist magazine (a UK based weekly popular science and technology magazine) [issue dated 2nd June 2018] reports that some interesting side effects have been reported amongst a small sample group of people who have undergone surgery for intractable and severe OCD and have implants in their brains designed to stimulate parts of the circuitry believed to be deficient in people with severe OCD spectrum illness. Apparently, it can regulate and help overcome diabetes. The article is in the print edition of the magazine, but you have to pay for it on the New Scientist website. Kind regards Tez

Well done BBC. I knew that the license fee would be well spent.

Hope people find the Guardian piece of interest. I have to say that the offering of euthanasia to people with severe OCD causes me some distress, as I was not aware of this practice. Surely, it must only be a very, very last resort. BTW, my reference to the clinic in South Wales that does some brain surgery for OCD, comes from a conversation with my psychiatrist in 2009, when she was reassuring me that there were many, many different treatment options and not to give up. Tez

Dear All From my organisation's daily press pack this morning, which I help prepare: A really fascinating article in the Guardian about euthanasia in the Netherlands: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/09/any-taboo-has-gone-netherlands-sees-rise-in-demand-for-euthanasia Some practitioners feel that whilst the intentions of end of life services are good, there is ‘too much’ routine euthanasia. The case of a man with OCD who asked to be released from his life long hell is being hotly debated by OC and mental health charities in Holland and England. I would like to point out that in Britain, extremely severe cases of OCD can be referred to a clinic in Caerdydd/Cardiff in South Wales, where experimental brain surgery has about a 70% success rate in alleviating symptoms. Kind regards Tez

Hello All A friend of mine put a video from You Tube on my FaceBook wall by a performance art poet called Neil Hilborn, who lives with OCD and some other mental health issues. Apparently, his work called "OCD" is considered highly in performance poetry circles and is even cited on Wikipedia. Since I had never seen it before, I thought I would share. Please note that there is a moderate amount of profanity in this piece. Kind regards Tez

Hi Paul I would agree with the other posters. We have all done wrong in our times, and you would be surprised about the secrets many hearts carry. I know, I have been in jobs in sexual health and counselling and have met people who have been on the Sex Offenders Register and turned over a new leaf, or who have all manner of pasts - criminal, anti-social, drugs and alcohol, whatever. As OceanDweller says - you're remorseful. If there is a God, then that's all it/he/she requires of us. I wish you every success and say you should enjoy the new opportunities this relationship brings with it. Everyone deserves to be happy. Tez

Hi All The Bristol Cable is one of the many "alternative" papers in the city. Since 2013, it has published quarterly with innovative journalism, news and features, and is produced by a workers' and readers' co-operative, distributed free through bookshops, cafes, libraries and meeting places. It reflects the campaigning and counter-cultural side of the city's vibrant life. The Summer issue now available has an essay from a woman living with OCD, in which she explains how it is to live with debilitating cleaning focussed OCD. A good effort at educating readers about just how serious real OCD can be. https://thebristolcable.org/ Tez

Hi All Spotted this on the newswires today. An interview with a star of the Channel Four TV show "First Dates" who suffers from Tourettes Syndrome, Anxiety and Depression. But who still finds time to contribute to the Men's Health UK Podcast: https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-guy-explains-like-date-tourettes-syndrome/ Tez

Great thread, guys. Nice to see that our Chief Exec, Ashley, is bringing home the poo - literally speaking - with the dinosaur coprolites. A good way to keep ERP in mind.

Mmm, interesting thoughts. Being a child of the seventies and influenced by the whole counterculture thing that has been marking its fiftieth anniversary lately (San Francisco 1967 saw that first coming together of alternative lifestyles, activism and new ways of thinking), I am interested in the various ways that different and alternative therapies can help people with OCD. But I am not so naïve as to think that we can replace evidential based therapies with simplistic solutions like counselling. CBT, alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and good medication (where appropriate) are the most effective treatments for OCD spectrum disorders. Even "mindfulness" which is trotted out by some NHS practitioners as a panacea for everything, doesn't work on its own for OCD (I know, I've tried!), it needs a CBT understanding and component to work.

Hi Guys We shouldn't take much notice of what "click bait" journalists write about mental health, as it's rarely good for our own wellbeing, but I thought that you'd be interested to learn that Piers Morgan is once again in trouble for his dismissive views on mental health issues, this time over Will Young's public acknowledgement of suffering from depressive and addictive issues. http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/05/30/piers-morgan-sparks-huge-backlash-by-making-fun-of-will-youngs-mental-illness/ Tez

As well as L.B.C. (nice to know that they come to OCD-UK for a quote when needed), there is a relatively new talk network on digital platforms called Talk Radio UK. http://talkradio.co.uk/. Its presenters include James Whale (ex Radio Aire in Leeds, ITV Night-times) who always seemed to be quite good at covering social and psychological issues sensitively and without too much sensationalism. As you know, I am involved in community radio here in Bristol, and we will be covering OCD Awareness Week. There are now some 290 community radio services in the UK, plus about 20 local citywide TV stations. Combined, they comprise a formidable force in media, but with hundreds of small projects, how to reach them all? They are mostly represented by the Community Media Association. They *might* be worth getting in touch with, as they have mailing lists that reach all the different projects. On the press front, the Guardian might be worth speaking to, in that it has a healthy psychology spot on its site and in the paper. https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Great idea Rebecca. And thank you for using your graphic design talents to help raise awareness of a misunderstood disability.

Yes, it is so annoying when people - even good people who mean well - get it so wrong, and say something like "I am so OCD about my pencils". As if it were just a fun little trait rather than a debilitating illness.

Ooh, gosh what a question. As someone who believes firmly in the principles of recovery, living well in spite of illness and disabled liberation, I have always filled in application forms accurately recording that I consider myself to be a disabled person, with a mental health condition. However, where the sickness monitoring comes in, I can also report that I have had very few days off due to my OCD in recent years. Disability Pride!

Hello Chelsie I just wanted to say that I understand where you are coming from. At several points during my 30 year struggle with OCD, I have experienced anxiety which stays high for prolonged periods of time. What I think happens is that the thoughts just go round and round in your head, and the anxiety keeps getting "refreshed" rather than subsiding as the classical model of OCD suggests. However, if you can stick it out, the anxiety will eventually start to go down. When you are having therapy, the cognitive model might help you somewhat explore what is happening in your head. I have found the cognitive side of the therapy to be most helpful. All the best Tez

Don't worry Seb. And don't avoid using pornography, as that will just strengthen the hand of the OCD. You have done nothing wrong - millions of people use porn every day online. Nay, probably billions. Sending you kind wishes, Tez

Hello All Not OCD specific, but of general relevance to anyone with an interest in mental health. Two articles I came across this week whilst browsing the press. Thursday's issue of the communist newspaper Morning Star ran a page 5 piece on Jeremy Corbyn's attack on the government over mental health services in Prime Minister's Questions. Meanwhile, The Guardian on the same day said that Jeremy Hunt acknowledged that there were problems with mental health provision in the NHS. Good to see that the press is continuing to keep the issue of mental wellbeing on the political agenda. Tez

Hi All BoredPanda.com reports that October is artist's month "Inktober" and one artist has themed their work for the month on different mental health issues: OCD is in there. http://www.boredpanda.com/for-inktober-i-focused-on-mental-illness-and-disorders/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=BPFacebook Worth a look, although the pics are a bit harrowing for most displays. Well executed and thought out though! Tez

Hello All I was very proud this week to have taken part in several broadcasts on local community access radio services here in Bristol for OCD Awareness Week: I am told that they went down well and that people learned something about what it is like to live with the condition. As you might know, I work for a local charity here in Bristol which has been supporting Awareness Week and which facilitated the broadcasts, so here's our press blurb that went out via our website. Onward and upward to beat OCD! Tez As well as World Mental Health Day, this week marks OCD Awareness Week. http://www.ocduk.org/ocd-awareness-week. OCD is a serious psychiatric condition that is estimated to affect 1.2% of the population, making it one of the most common mental health issues that people face. Once again, our media group has been privileged to bring together Second Step and the country’s leading OCD charity, known as OCD-UK (http://www.ocduk.org/). Tez has been open about living with OCD and is a firm advocate of treatment and recovery, and this year has appeared with several of our media partners to talk about the issue. He is on South Bristol’s BASE Radio this weekend in a special edition of the “Second Step Recovery Tunes” show, talking about his life and experiences with Cath and Tim. He has chosen music from amongst others, Cocteau Twins, Jon and Vangelis, Renaissance and New Riders of the Purple Sage and talks about how things such as Radio Luxembourg and Doctor Who have been sources of inspiration to him. The show will go out in BASE Radio’s loop several times over the coming month at http://www.baseradiobristol.co.uk/ Tez is also guesting on the region’s only regular lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender magazine programme, “ShoutOut” on Thursday 13th October. In a 10 minute interview, he will be talking about how everyone has a modicum of OCD, and how treatment and medication works. The programme is networked out on six local radio services, as follows: · B.C.F.M. (93.2 FM and DAB Radio) 7pm Thursdays repeated at midnight · Bradley Stoke Radio (103.4 FM and DAB Radio) 10pm Thursdays · BASE Radio South Bristol (online) 9pm Fridays · Pirate Nation Radio (online) 7pm Thursdays · Glastonbury Community FM (107.1 FM) 9pm Thursdays · Frome FM (96.6 FM) 7pm Thursdays Or, you can listen at will from Friday onward at http://shoutoutradio.lgbt/.

That's the spirit! Not always easy to follow our own advice, but I am so glad that you are feeling a bit better now.