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OCD Guide for Young People - We Need Your Help!


Guest Charlotte

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Guest Charlotte

Hello everyone :)

As you probably know, OCD-UK has a guide for OCD that is specifically designed for young people - you can find it here.

We're looking to re-write and redesign it in the next couple of months and want to know what you would like to see. What essential information would you be looking for? What top tips would really help? What would you change and what would you keep the same?

I'm looking to find a handful of young people to help me with the project - if you would like to talk about it further then pop me a PM and I can always either send you my email address / Skype name or we can organise a chat session/continue to talk through PMs. Feel free to reply to this thread too!

We're also always looking for original artwork by people with OCD - previous pieces have been featured in our magazine, on the website and on awareness material. So if you're arty or crafty then get in touch!

We'd also really like to include some of your personal stories - what advice would you give to someone who has just been diagnosed with OCD?

I look forward to hearing from you - remember, everything can stay anonymous if you don't want to share personal details.

Lottie :D

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Guest LauraMac

I remember reading this guide several times about a year ago when I suspected I had ocd. I think for me the most helpful part was the 'what is ocd section'. The examples of obsessions and compulsions that are in it are very good I remember feeling instantly more normal when reading it. I was so scared that I was going insane. It was so great to be able to see that my behaviour was normal in ocd. That's the thing that I find most helpful in all the guides to be honest.

The other bit that's really good is the 'do I have to tell my school/college about ocd' bit. I was having a really hard time at school (which caused me to leave in the end) so it was great to be able to read about ocd and schooling.

Think having a guide for teenagers/young people is great! It was the guide I was instantly drawn to when I was trying to find out info, I'm 19 now and still have a wee read at it now and again, some good stories about other suffers in it!

Might be an idea to have some self help techniques in it, just in basic form even.

I'm a big fan of the pink elephant idea (that features in the overcoming obsessive compulsive disorder book) to explain how intrusive thoughts work. I absolutely loved showing that example to my parents and found it gave them a greater understanding of how my brain works! Might be something that might help other teenagers explain their thoughts to friends/family.

If you need people I'd be more than happy to help out, don't have Skype but emails good!

All the best, Laura

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Guest LauraMac

Oh just thought of another idea, what about an small section about famous people with ocd, or related conditions. Teenagers (even if they don't want to admit it!) often are interested in media and celebrities. I remember thinking how class it was when i first found out that the ian puleston-Davies had OCD. Made me think that actually people with ocd can go somewhere with theie life and gave me hope. It was also something I looked up on the Internet at the start of my diagnosis, suspose it could be seen as looking for reassurance, but it made me feel like ocd wasnt going to be the end of me. Just a thought!

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Guest It'sOnlyNatural

I read this a while back and it actually inspired me to get help about what I suspected to be OCD, so it's already really great! One thing that really helped a lot was 'Sarah's Story' because I could relate to that a lot! I really like Laura's idea of including ways to help people to explain to their friends/family about OCD - something I've found particularly hard and there's not an awful lot of information about that currently...

I'd love to help with this as I know how difficult it is to be a young person (I'm 15) and not know what to do about having OCD. It made me feel very lost and alone so reading the guide was a really important moment for me :)

Only thing is, I've just joined and I'm not entirely sure what a PM is?!?! I don't have skype either, but emailing would be good for me!!

Hope I can help in some way,

Charlotte (or you can call me Charlie if it gets confusing to have the same name haha)

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  • 2 months later...
Guest LauraMac

Hello everyone :)

As you probably know, OCD-UK has a guide for OCD that is specifically designed for young people - you can find it here.

We're looking to re-write and redesign it in the next couple of months and want to know what you would like to see. What essential information would you be looking for? What top tips would really help? What would you change and what would you keep the same?

Lottie :D

Well Lottie how's the new guide going?

Laura x

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  • 5 weeks later...

I read it and it helped clear things up for me, I was to afraid to ask questions even after I'd been diagnosed so it was great to have them answered without the akwardness! A section about things it leads to might be useful, mine has lead to feeling misersble and angry all the time so having something to help you with that would be amazing!

Happy to help if needed :)

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  • 3 years later...

I like how you have included people's personal stories of their own ocd, but maybe include a story of someone who has suffered from pure o as well? Rather than just people who have contamination and cleanliness ocd, because as a pure o sufferer I don't believe it's talked about enough.

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