trusting, talking to people about ocd...

[Sophhh]

hi,

I have been a bit lost recently...my ocd has gotten a lot worse, despite the fact that I should be happy being where I am right now. I just feel extremely anxious, and things that never used to effect me, now I find trigger my ocd. I have had several panic attacks at college (which have never happened before), and in my classes I am constantly doing compulsions, tapping people, things, counting, avoiding things, overthinking etc. whilst trying to hide the fact that I have ocd, as I don't want everyone knowing. I have struggled for so long on my own with it and I just want it to stop. I want to talk to someone like my head of year but I just don't know how to start the conversation...like I feel so awkward. I feel like none of the mentors have been trained to deal with ocd and so just might think im crazy if I start talking about all of my problems to them. If anyone has any advice on how to start a conversation with someone, I wud be so grateful as im stuck!

[paradoxer]

Don't know what your relationship with your head of years is, but perhaps couch it in terms to be akin to suffering severe anxiety. 

[taurean]

Go to the main OCD-UK website and you should find some stuff there to help you with this. 

[carolj]

Hi

I am not sure if you are here in the UK, but when my son was a college, there was a department who was there to help with anyone's special needs, or problems, whatever they may be, including his OCD.  It really didnt matter whether they were experts in OCD, they were experts in dealing with any special need.

As well as being able to talk to them, his teachers were made aware by the team that he should be allowed to leave the room if he needed to, without being questioned as to where he was going.  He was told there was a quiet room allocated that he could go to and if he wanted one, they would arrange for someone to sit in class with him.

Just knowing these things were in place and someone knew, made so much difference, that he never actually needed them.  The only thing he did use was the option to take his exams in a separate room, in the special needs department, where he could get up and go for a walk in the middle of them if he wanted to.  Passed with flying colours, so proud of him, as OCD had destroyed his schooling.

I would find out who is in charge of special needs at your college and go and speak to them.  Would it help if one of your parents went with you?  You really don't need to even think about what you are going to say, the fact you are there, will tell them you need help.  If there is no team (and there should be, just as there is at school), just tell your head of year that you are having problems and need help.  May be you are over thinking how much you have to tell them in that conversation?  You really don't need to go into great detail if you don't want to.   You will feel so much better when you know someone there knows you are struggling.