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What support can we expect from a GP re OCD?


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I’ve not been on his forum for several years as resigned myself to knowing that my husband was not going to seek help or support for his OCD tendencies around contamination.

However out of the blue he has made an appointment to see his doctor next week to start to get some help, which I’m very pleased about for his sake as well as my own.  His mother passed away recently and so I’m not sure if this is a trigger.

I’ve offered to go with him to the appointment but regardless of whether I do or not I suggested that he might wish to make some notes to take along with him to highlight the significant of his OCD and how it is affecting everyday life and more recently his work.  If his doctor is anything like mine, you are on a 5 minute time clock so want him to be prepared and remember to get significant points across to the GP if this is the case.

Has anyone any experience of going to the GP for the first time and can offer any tips or pointers to be prepared?  What kind of support could the GP they offer (or can they refer you to somewhere)?  I very much appreciate OCD isn’t cured overnight but feel that we may be turning a corner to improving both of our lives. 

Thank you for reading

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Hi Krann :)

That's great news that your husband has decided to seek help, I'm sorry to hear about his loss though. 

It depends where in the world you are on what a GP will do. In England, a GP will talk over your problems and can refer you to your local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) they may also offer medications called SSRIs. It is an individual choice whether to take medication or not. Take a look at the OCD-UK website for further information and also information on accessing therapy in other parts of the UK here. 

https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/accessing-ocd-treatment/

I think writing things down is a great idea too because it is so easy to forget important things :)

OCD-UK have developed a gp icebreaker handout that you could print out or take inspiration from here, 

https://www.ocduk.org/gp-ice-breaker/

Hope some of this helps. If you have more questions just ask :)

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Hi Gemma7

Many thanks for your reply and comments.  We are in the UK, so I have printed off the ice break handout for some hints and tips, as I agree it's easy to forget important things.  I also know from my experience at a different GP surgery that they are never keen to allocate you more than 5 mins so this will help us get the issues across to them quickly.

I will let you know how we get on after next week's appointment :-)

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Hubby went to the GP this morning as a first step to addressing his OCD but felt it was a waste of time. He gave GP the ice breaker sheet and gave examples of his issues. He was referred to a NHS service but told there is no-one that actually deals with OCD (only depression and anxiety) and there is a currently an 8 week wait for an initial assessment.  I asked him to show the GP his hands (they are significantly white and flaky from all the handwashing) and he was just told to use a better hand cream. 

I'm feeling as though hubby has come away deflated and just re-affirms that he thought going to the GP was going to be a waste of time (he's said this for years) and that he has now lost any glimmer of hope that he had to address the issues.

 

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Hi Krann :)

I'm sorry to hear that your husband didn't have a better appointment. I've had cracked bleeding hands and moisturiser is not the solution, CBT is. Try not to lose hope though. Has your husband been referred to his local IAPT? And they are saying that no one there treats OCD? That sounds unacceptable. The NHS follows NICE Guidelines and they say that initial treatment should be CBT, so you have the right to complain if that isn't offered. If you need further advice you could email OCD-UK directly, I know Ashley, who runs the charity, knows a lot about accessing therapy, so he should be able to advise. I believe the email address is support@ocduk.org

In the mean time I highly recommend the self-help book Break free from OCD. This is what got me fighting OCD. It's co-written by specialists in OCD, one being a patron of OCD-UK and takes you through how to tackle OCD, how it comes about, as well as featuring templates to try filling in yourself. Also take a look at this page on OCD-UK website for more ideas on what's best to do during this difficult waiting period. 

https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/preparing-for-ocd-therapy/

Let us know how you get on and let your husband know that he isn't alone in his experiences and he can get better :)

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They've told him to contact the local IAPT but said there is no-one specifically that deals with OCD?  I've found a private company that offers CBT so that may be an option.  I'm not sure if he will contact either currently - doctor was quite dismissive about his condition.

I will keep you posted on any progress/updates. :-)

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Hi Krann,

That's so disappointing  that your husband has seen such a dismissive GP. It sounds like a great idea to access private CBT- if you can then it's a good idea to make sure that s/he is registered with the BABCP and ask whether they have worked with OCD sufferers in the past. 

I hope your husband is willing to the see the private CBT therapist. GPs really have very little mental health training and some are completely uninterested in psychiatric conditions but it's unlikely that a private CBT therapist would be so dismissive and unhelpful.

Edited by BelAnna
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