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4 Goes Mad Season - Jon Richardson: A Little Bit OCD


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Next week, starting on Monday at 10pm, Channel 4 launches a bold season challenging mental health stigma and discrimination. Somewhat questionably titled, 4 Goes Mad, the series will take a look at people's perceptions of mental illness, including programme's on OCD and Hoarding.

Tuesday evening (10pm) a programme that OCD-UK supported the production team in recruiting participants. Jon Richardson: A Little Bit OCD. Comedian Jon Richardson as previously talked about his obsessive nature and need to control the world around him, which was minutely detailed in his book, It's Not Me, It's You. After writing an article about his exacting nature affecting his ability to find a suitable girlfriend, he was inundated with letters from readers who identified with his compulsive need for immaculate cleanliness, precision and organisation. But Jon admits he knows very little about the condition, but, he's determined to find out exactly what OCD is, what it's like for people living with this disorder and whether he actually has the condition. The programme title is coincidently the theme for our OCD Awareness Week in October, aimed at showing that suffering with OCD, is very different to the frequently used term 'a bit OCD'.

This will also be shown on digital station, 4Seven (Sky 140, Freeview 47) on Thu 26th at 10pm, Fri 27th at 2:05am, Sun 29th at 2am, Tue 31st at 3:05am.

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Guest Vieea8

I'm really excited for this- I love him so much! But I just saw the advert and the song playing in the background was 'Bonkers' by Dizzee Rascal which I thought was really quite offensive. I was genuinely shocked to notice it, when channel 4 are supposedly trying to challenge these interpretations of mental health.

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Guest Icicle

Yeah I am. I feel really nervous about it because I've told my mum it's on and she said she'll watch it - I never talk 2 anyone about this stuff, I hope it's a good representation xx

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Lets hope that this programme will bring more awareness for OCD and let people know that we are not mad but we need help and support, also that ocd isnt a joke or something to be made fun of like a lot of people do, I have a lot of respect for all the people who were brave enough to take part, I found it very emotional.

Edited by red
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Guest *Lou*

I also found it very emotional. I am so glad that they are trying to educate people about this horrible, torturous disease. The animation on four 0D is also brilliant!

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Guest orange socks

is it just me or is there anyone else out there who just cant bear to watch programmes on ocd ?

its bad enough having it and living with it 24/7 without watching it on telly too - i just cant bear to watch anything to do with ocd on telly.

thank goodness programmes like these are on - its great that they are on and i am all for them 100% , but i personally have no interest in watching them cause i just wanna get away from ocd.

great the programmes are on and total respect to anyone who talks to media about their ocd - i know how hard it is - but nah- i have no interest in watching them .

thank goodness some people do watch them though ! thats how we get the message out there .....its just me trying to get a break from ocd when i dont watch them i think :)

Edited by orange socks
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Guest sarah1984

I've just watched it and I was impressed by the sensitive portrayal. I really admire the sufferers who took part - it must have taken a lot of courage. Shame there was no real mention of intrusive thoughts apart from briefly talking about the intrusive thoughts experienced by sufferers of contamination OCD. I'm afraid the programme's focus on contamination and ordering will reinforce existing stereotypes about OCD. However, I was delighted that the programme managed to get across the message that OCD is not a harmless eccentricity and that it can wreck lives. I was particularly moved by the interview with Joyce whose son committed suicide as a result of his OCD. He was such a talented and intelligent young man with so much to give - it's heartbreaking that he couldn't see a way out of his problems. It was interesting to see inside the Springfield Centre because there's been a couple of posts on here recently from members who've been treated there. I was also hoping the charity would be OCD UK!

Sarah

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I was disappointed they showed so many with contamination problems. It is important to show that, and how horrible contamination can be, but two or was it three of those featured were about contamination so they could have chosen other aspects of OCD, and I had told the researcher ages ago not to make it all about contamination. It was ok, but I was a little disappointed, 6/10 I think for me.

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I agree with you ashley..they could have shown more of a broader spectrum of ocd, maybe a 2hr programme would have been a better idea. Red

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Guest Annabel

Hey,

Pros:

- Showed how severe, ultimately life-threatening OCD can be

- Jon Richardson was empathic and non-judgemental in his approach

- The OCD types that were explored are perhaps more socially acceptable at present!

Cons:

- Only touched the surface on intrusive thoughts- should have gone into this more

- Could have discussed the OCD spectrum- even if they didn't interview sufferers with other variants of OCD they could have briefy mentioned them

Lou- I just looked for an animation on 4OD but couldn't find it- what title is it under?

xx

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On facebook I have 'Time to Change' who today are talking about the programme last night and the great thing about it is that nearly all the comments say that they now understand more about OCD and how serious it is. These are people who had no knowledge before apart from the usual 'washing of hands'. My son's father has never really grasped it, but last night's programme made him cry.

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hi

we saw it last night, lorna found a few things that she does that she didnt realise were ocd related, she found it very interesting but did get a bit ticked off it was mainly contamination. There was some checking which she related too though.

i wish they had talked more about intrusive thoughts and other types of ocd, but on the whole it showed that these are ordinary everyday people from all walks of life having to deal with ocd - it was disappointed it didnt show more about therapy and encouraged people to try therapy and maybe showed someone who had gone through cbt and was doing well,

great to hear about the posts on time to change, and im glad your sons father saw it Carol, hopefully it will help :)

x

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I found it quite powerful personally... Although there was more on contamination than any other type of OCD, it very much made it clear that OCD isn't a joke, which to me was the main purpose of the programme.

Seeing it given as a cause of death on that man's death certificate was quite shocking for me. I work in life insurance and see death certificates every day - never seen one with OCD on it.

That bit before the first break where Jon Richardson was quite affected by how badly people's lives can be messed up by OCD made me cry. He seemed genuinely angry with OCD, which is something I bet many of us can relate to (I know I can!)

Also the look of shock on Russell Howard's face when Jon Richardson told him that he used to sleep in his car was quite significant I think.

When I got into work today one of my friends approached me and told me that she didn't realise how serious OCD could be. As far as I'm concerned the programme got the message across more so than other things I've seen. To capture the full spectrum of OCD, it needs a whole series!

Edited by Claire1704
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