OCD Ward - ITV1

[Guest OCD-UK RSS]

OCD Ward is a new documentary offering an insight into four severe cases of OCD due to be screened on ITV1 on Monday (28th October) at 9:00pm. The programme will focus on two patients receiving treatment at London's Springfield University Hospital, the only 24/7 staffed unit dedicated to the treatment of severe OCD.

We spoke at length to the programme producer Jo, from Minnow Films, who explained that she hopes the programme will show the devastation that OCD can cause, both to those that suffer, but also to our loved ones, but also show the challenges that sufferers face in just tackling treatment, in addition to trying to life each and every day with OCD.

For the first time ever, the hospital granted the ITV cameras exclusive access to its OCD ward, to join the patients and staff fighting to beat it.

The documentary focuses on a young man who has been unable to hug his parents for a number of years, a woman who cannot have contact with her grandchildren, a man with a fear of germs who is using increasingly abrasive chemicals on his body and a woman plagued by horrific thoughts of bad things happening to her loved ones.

Dr Andra Ion, Specialist Psychiatrist at Springfield, explains the frustration experienced by those with the condition: "People with OCD always realise that what they are scared of is absolutely nonsense. They find a way to alleviate this discomfort and anxiety by performing a ritual."

The road to recovery isnât easy, with Dr Ion adding: "We do not have magic wands. The treatment here is extremely difficult."

Peter Kolb, OCD Specialist at Springfield says: "For the patients, the therapy can seem worse than the OCD. OCD is totally irrational, but for some reason we donât know their brain has switched on an alarm signal, itâs saying âThis is highly dangerous.'"

One current resident at Springfield is 32-year-old Edward, who lives in constant fear of being dirty, making him terrified to touch anything. Edward is a successful IT Consultant, but his OCD now affects every part of his life. He was admitted to the ward just two weeks ago after his desperate parents, John and Sally, wrote to the hospital asking them to help their son. As Edwards explains, his fear of contamination means he has to avoid many every-day objects and situations: "Getting dressed, car door handles, making drinks, shaking hands, walking past people in the street, going to the toilet's a big ritual, and drinking as well."

Explaining how OCD has affected his life, Edward says: "Literally five years ago I was living a perfectly normal life, everything was absolutely fine, I was living on my own, Iâd graduated, Iâd got a good job and I was moving up in life, getting to where I should have been. All of a sudden I just started picking up all these weird little traits of things that I was doing, which I didnât realise were OCD at the time. Things have got so severe that Iâve got to do something to claw my life back."

Read the full article on the OCD-UK website

[Guest LauraMac]

I can't wait for this! Sounds promising!

[Guest Tricia]

I would just like to say that I don't agree with Dr Andra Ion's statement. Not everybody with OCD thinks what they are scared of is absolute nonsense. I have two friends with severe OCD who believe that their compulsions prevent disaster occurring. I think this is called overvalued ideation. I don’t say this to pick holes in the comment (which is true for many of us) but because some with overvalued ideation, reading the statement, might think they don’t have OCD at all.

My intrusive thoughts (which I was persuaded to discuss in the programme - and the only reason I agreed to take part - have now been omitted) are another example of my not thinking my fears are nonsense.

[daisy]

Well said Tricia,i totally agree with what you have said.

I am really sorry to hear that the reason you agreed to take part in this documentary re your intrusive thoughts have now been omitted.

My worry about the programme is that it may send out the wrong signals to the general public is that if we all try hard enough anyone can beat this monster,and it will just backfire on those of us who have tried so hard and are still suffering,and i dread to think of what the consequences may be!

Please don't get me wrong i am not saying that cbt/erp can't help most people as it does,but we never seem to hear anything about those that it doesn't help,other than that we didn't try hard enough,making us( well i can't speak for others)me, feel more useless than before,and left without hope.

I am looking forward to watching the programme,and i am sorry if what i have said upsets anyone.

[Guest Tricia]

Daisy, I am in complete agreement. The difficulty is giving hope, and showing a positive outcome, without making the public feel those who put in the work will always reap the rewards and those who are still severe with their OCD didn‘t try hard enough. I don’t know what the answer is, because we need to give people hope, but we don’t want anyone to suffer and be bullied etc., because relatives/friends feel everyone can be well with enough willpower. I think if it were down to me, I would make it clear that there are people who don’t respond even after being fully committed to the treatment, but that it will help many and is always worth trying. It will be interesting to see how the wording comes across in the full documentary.

[daisy]

Thank you Tricia,you have worded it so well xx

[Ashley]

I would just like to say that I don't agree with Dr Andra Ion's statement. Not everybody with OCD thinks what they are scared of is absolute nonsense.

I would agree with your comments Tricia, but we need to remember this is simply a press release from the ITV website, they may have paraphrased her words, losing context in some way. So we perhaps need to review the programme first.

[Ashley]

Please don't get me wrong i am not saying that cbt/erp can't help most people as it does,but we never seem to hear anything about those that it doesn't help,other than that we didn't try hard enough,making us( well i can't speak for others)me, feel more useless than before,and left without hope.

Jo told me this was something she wanted to try and get across in the programme, at how hard it is to challenge the OCD sometimes. I don't want to give too much away, but the journey of one of those featured does echo above I am told.

I personally believe there is always hope, if place A does not work, we have to look for place B and if need be, place C, there are always other options/places/approaches for treatment. Sometimes going from place A to place B, then allows a return back to place A for successful treatment. There are always options.

[daisy]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me Ashley,it means a lot.

I do really wish that i could find other options,but i am being told by my GP and CMHT team that i have had the treatment and that they can't help anymore,i guess unfortunately it comes down to money!

[Ashley]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me Ashley,it means a lot.

I do really wish that i could find other options,but i am being told by my GP and CMHT team that i have had the treatment and that they can't help anymore,i guess unfortunately it comes down to money!

Aah, what they should have done, is refer you on to someone who can help you. I have a busy week ahead because of the conference, but I would be happy to advise or represent you by writing to them CMHT to advise them of their options to help you further, should you want me to. Shoot me a PM, but it may be week after next before I can get back to you I am afraid.

Ashley

[daisy]

Thank you so much Ashley,i will do.

All the best

Daisy.

[whitebeam]

Glad i caught this post in time for the programme - will be watching with interest.

[Guest Pugdoglover]

Hi guys,

Just to let those who don't know, there is a doucmntary on OCD tonight on ITV at 9pm. Will be interesting to see what they show.

Best,

Pugdoglover

[bendylouise]

just in case anyone had forgotten or did not know. It might be of use. BL

[bendylouise]

Ha - i've just seen Pugdoglover's post. Great minds eh Pug?

[Guest Pugdoglover]

I feel this programe is covering contaimnation alot but not that of Pure O obsessions??? I know all OCD is essentially the same, but I'm feel quite alone, I thought it might include more Pure O obsessions aswell as contamination.

Pug

[Guest yinyang]

Usual rubbish

[Guest Pugdoglover]

Ha ha Yes Louise!

[Ashley]

Usual rubbish

The programme told the story of four individuals, their stories, and I think that to dismiss their stories as 'usual rubbish' is very rude.

[Ashley]

I feel this programe is covering contaimnation alot but not that of Pure O obsessions??? I know all OCD is essentially the same, but I'm feel quite alone, I thought it might include more Pure O obsessions aswell as contamination.

Pug

I did ask them to include that form of the illness, I am a tad disappointed it was not at least covered in the voiceover. That said, rom the hospital point of view, you have to remember they rarely get Pure O sufferers at a guess, because it is a treatment clinic for people that need 24/7 support and care, which is often people with contamination/checking etc.

[Guest honey]

Just watched it and found it moving and respectful. I feel it did focus on the contamination OCD issues, but also featured two very brave people who are not receiving treatment at present, Tricia and Hayley.

Hayley's OCD is shown to be different from contamination OCD.

I think this show is as good as we could hope - perhaps another one will bring out other inflections of OCD and how they are treated. Does anyone know if it's part of a series?

honey

Edited October 28, 2013 by honey

[Ashley]

My intrusive thoughts (which I was persuaded to discuss in the programme - and the only reason I agreed to take part - have now been omitted) are another example of my not thinking my fears are nonsense.

Hi Tricia,

I just want to tell you that I have nothing but respect for you tonight. You were so honest and open, and allowing the camera to show the meeting with your Mum must have been very hard.

It took huge courage to allow yourself to be filmed in such a honest and candid way, I respect you for that.

Ashley.

[Ashley]

Does anyone know if it's part of a series?

That was a one-off episode Honey. Not heard if it will get another commission yet. Bedlam on Channel 4 may tell more stories on Thursday.

[Guest yinyang]

Sorry Ashley but I'm frustrated as it portrayed OCD suffers as hand washers as usual. Anybody tuning in to learn about it is just fed the same old. It just reinforces the stereotype that I feel OCD Awareness Week was trying to change?

I'm not dumbing down anybody's OCD but to be fair isn't this all we hear about?

Maybe rude to you but that's my opinion

[Guest honey]

Ah, OK, thanks Ashley. And I totally echo what you have said about Tricia - how brave to go out and visit her mum when it was obviously so difficult. All the people in the film were putting up such a fight - even when it wasn't working as they would want it to, they were so amazing to share their experiences.

From a very impressed

honey