Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)There was an item on OCD on The One Show on BBC 1 last night. It can be accessed on BBC iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0153gbv/The_One_Show_23_09_2011/
It is about three and a half minutes into the show. And although they got some of the information wrong when introducing it, it does show some of the aspects of OCD and it's impact on our lives. After the item Stephen Fry who was a guest on the programme showed empathy for OCD and it's impact.
Unregistered
Just watched it, that made me cry! It's very hard actually visually seeing someone else doing the rituals I did.
I watched it too although the sound quality was poor and I couldn't catch all the words but I saw a man who appeared to be coping fairly well and with a loving family surrounding him. I don't think it reflects the true picture of what is actually going on behind closed doors, my own experience is infinitely worse than what was shown and the programme has not moved me at all other than to make me a little upset that an opportunity to really show how devastating OCD can be has been missed.
Unregistered
Wow Tess, that was a bit harsh! I don't think it really matters if he was coping fairly well and had a loving family surrounding him, I just don't think it's very pleasant watching anyone struggle, maybe i'm just a bit of a softy. My situation was also infinitely worse than was shown but it's still not very nice to see
Unregistered
I don't mean she was a bit harsh about the programme, I agree it was an opportunity to show more, I mean that it was a bit harsh to point out the emotion side of things when I had said it personally upset me
Please let’s be realistic - it was only approximately two and a quarter minutes and in that time it’s extremely difficult to adequately portray anything let alone something as varied and complex as OCD.
Much of OCD is subjective and as such is extremely difficult to show and almost impossible in such a short period of time. It was only a brief glimpse of Dean’s OCD. I doubt very much that the cameras followed his day instead he would have been asked to show some aspects of his OCD. In that sort of situation we don’t necessarily act as we would normally.
The panic and distress that we each suffer when confronted by our OCD manifests itself in many different ways. Many of us when confronted by our OCD show outward signs of panic and distress but some have become extremely adept at disguising it and can be really distressed and yet to the outsider look reasonably calm, I know at times I do.
How do we know what Dean was going through when confronted with the tasks that we saw him doing? The answer is we don’t.
We also have to bear in mind that the programme was shown early in the evening. Some of what I go through could no way be shown pre watershed without evoking complaints. We also don’t know what was going through his mind when for instance he was trying to put the washing in the machine. With me just doing that would have taken a whole programme lasting more than an hour with possibly lots of censoring.
We have to be realistic and realise that there is no way that we can adequately portray OCD in a series let alone a couple of minutes. What we have to do is ensure that OCD appears in the media as much as possible and hopefully gradually the public will be able to piece it all together and learn the full extent and impact that OCD has on not only our lives but those of our loved ones. It’s not something that can or will happen with one short item on a TV programme.
My heart went out to Dean as I saw me in so much of what he did and I shed a tear to think of someone else doing similar to me. Yes, my OCD is far worse than what was shown on the programme BUT if they had been filming me I probably would have reacted the same as Dean. It’s a false situation he was in and so gives false reactions.
What we need to ask is what did he do after the filming stopped? I know what I would have done – I would have had to go and redo everything that I’d done on camera to ensure that it was safe.
BTW where did they get the statistics from that they used in the introduction?
If the UK population is approximately 61,000,000 then according to latest statistics that say OCD affects 2-3% of the population that means that 1,220,000 - 1,830,000 people are affected and not the 750,000 that was stated in the introduction. Unless of course maths has changed since I left school 
Also OCD isn’t in the WHO top ten neurological conditions as it’s not a neurological condition.
Unregistered
You are right Truddles, that was a staged situation so we don't know how extreme his ocd behaviours are without an audience or know what he is actually going through in his mind. It is upsetting to see someone struggling either way, I have every sympathy for anyone with ocd no matter how mild or severe. It would have been nice if they had shown more i.e. a longer piece but it's still great that awareness is being raised.
Also, I wondered where they got their statistics from too!
I apologise if I have caused any upset because at no time was that my intention. However this is a discussion forum and we are all entitled to post our own opinions whether the same or different to anyone else's.
So that readers can judge whether my views are harsh or realistic about how OCD can affect our lives this is a small extract from my own personal story which I wrote last year.
On a Friday morning coming up for three years ago at about 8am the doorbell rang and I saw a uniformed police officer outside the window. I have contamination OCD and I had just got out of bed and was in my nightdress. I wear a clean one every night but once I have got into bed, even into clean sheets, I feel contaminated. If then my nightdress touches anything such as a door frame I feel that is also contaminated and the only way I can rid myself of this desperately unpleasant and terrifying feeling is to wash the contaminated item. This means when I get out of bed I have to walk around carefully so I don't touch anything else and as soon as possible I have a bath, put on clean clothes, put my nightie in the washing machine and then I can function again without too much anxiety.
But, it was 8am, I was in my contaminated nightie which meant I was unable to sit down until I felt uncontaminated and there was a police officer at the door. Initially the reason for his presence did not click, I opened the door and then realised he was there to tell me my son was dead. He asked to come in, I stood looking at him knowing that if I let him in the contamination which I felt he would bring in with him and the possibility of my nightie or his uniform touching uncontaminated things would be more than I could cope with. I told him he couldn't come in, he asked again, he said he wanted me to sit down. I knew he was just trying to do his job in the best way he knew and he couldn't understand why I wouldn't let him in. It was easy for me to let him think it was because I was in my nightie because I didn't think he would understand the true reason.
So I heard the worst news that any parent could ever hear over the doorstep standing up and the policeman who was probably having to do his worst task of the day wondering at the peculiarities of human nature as I handed him my son's as yet unwrapped Christmas presents and asked him to please take them away as I could not bear to see them in the house, and all this on the doorstep due to OCD. Then I went for my bath.
Unregistered
Hi Tess - You have my most sincere and geniune sympathy for your loss and your situation, that is truly truly awful. I don't think anyone is debating how OCD can affect our lives, it is a truly torturous illness and of course does affect some more than others. I think perhaps my comment was misunderstood.
I wanted to reply to Trudy and explain what I think could have been conveyed in two and a quarter minutes. Before doing so, I read the other messages.
Tess, nothing I have ever read has moved me so much. In actual fact, it took me less than two and a quarter minutes to read your heartrending message (this tragic event would have had such an impact on any audience) but it will remain with me for life.
Unregistered
I've been thinking about this a bit more. Perhaps the reason that ocd was only shown to that degree is because the person in the film did not want to show their full ocd behaviours? Or maybe they just don't have anyone with worse ocd behaviours willing to go on tv?? I certainly wouldn't so I think we have to remember how hard it must have been for him to go on tv at all.
Tess, I read your post last night and sobbed. I told my 17 year old daughter to read it as she is studying a' level psychology and I wanted her to understand how ocd truly affects people. She sees me living with the fear of contamination and I fully understand you not being able to let the police officer into your house even in this extreme event. It is truly heartbreaking for any parent to lose a child but to be trapped in the ocd feelings while finding out such dreadful news is just unbearable. How brave you are to have got through it - I am truly moved by your story. Take care
Dear everyone
I am sorry my post has resulted in tears and thank you all for your empathy and understanding. Only someone who has experienced OCD can truly understand the intensity of the feelings which trap us into situations and the unimaginable pain of fully understanding whilst we are trapped that what is trapping us is utter nonsense. This I believe is why OCD is classed in the top ten most disabling disorders and why programmes which portray OCD as merely excessive checking, cleaning or counting rituals are doing sufferers a disservice. It is the suffering which lies behind this behaviour which needs to be explained and understood.
Unregistered
I'm not so sure that the suffering and behaviours behind ocd can be explained in full in two and a half minutes or whatever it was.
Also, there may be many reasons why that man's ocd was only shown to that degree. It might be that his ocd only affects him like that or maybe that's the way he wanted the programme to be? He might not have wanted to reveal everything about himself? We can't know that but either way I think fair play to him that he even went on TV to raise awareness. The fact is that ocd won't get the exposure it needs until people put themselves forward to be in the Media so if we want changes then we are the people that need to instigate that.
Tess its interesting that you start your message appologising for bringing people to tears with your story. Why does this ocd make us feel so guilty for everything - its so damaging. I'm in floods of tears this morning as yesterday I got a letter from the Housing Association saying someone would have to come into my property to do an asbestos survey even though the property is two year old. It said if I didnot contact them within 7 days further work on my house may not be carried out! I am in the middle of coming off prozac and going onto sertaline and for the next four days am on nothing although I have got some diazapan just in case. I've just rang and spoke to the main surveyor and explained I have ocd and told him that I am feeling ill right night. He was really understanding and we agreed that it would get done in the christmas holidays when my daughter is off sixth form as I will have to go out and she will have to deal with it. Its not easy admitting our problems to complete strangers as we already feel such guilt and embarrassment for feeling the way we do. If we had something physically wrong with us we would not feel ashamed for not being able to deal with things. We really are our own worst enemies but obviously we are all too frightend to admit our 'mental illness' for the fear of being branded crazy!!! Is so sad that we all feel we have to suffer in silence.
Strowdy, You are right if we want changes we are the people to instigate that but we are all so frightened of people judging us and classing us as being insane. Its so so difficult.
Unregistered
Hi Allison - That's exactly my point.
I think fair play to that man going on TV in the first place, I certainly wouldn't.
Following the earlier comments on the thread, whether or not he has a loving family around him is completely irrelevant, he is still suffering and personally I think it's just a good thing that OCD is on TV.
It's easy to complain about how the Media portrays OCD but as with anything in life, if you don't do something about it then nothing is going to change.
I agree with you Strowdy, I have been trying to help raise awareness for the last two years but I am finding it extremely hard. On this forum I struggle with finding the right balance between telling the truth about my own experiences which go into very dark places and sending out a positive message to give sufferers hope. We have debated this issue many times but there does not seem to be a solution which fits all needs.
Unregistered
I have often thought that perhaps it would be helpful to have two different sections on the forum. Once for those looking for hope and support in recovery and one for those who need support in discussing how debilitating ocd can be? I think there is a definite need for both. I only say this because my own experiences also go into very dark places and I too have suffered personal tragedy but for me personally I am very private and don't feel that there would be any advantage in telling my story. I don't wish anyone to take that as me thinking that people shouldn't be open about their problems as that most certainly isn't the case, it's just that everyone deals with their problems and view their recovery differently therefore maybe the forum should reflect that?? Thankfully I am one of the lucky ones and do not need support with my ocd anymore, I am purely here to try to help support others in getting better and I know that positivity is key in getting better.
I don't mean this thread at all but some of the threads in the past have truly made me feel glad that I did not know of this site when I was feeling at my worst. I know that sounds like an awful thing to say but I honestly believe that if I had been looking at it back then that I wouldn't be where I am now, I would have given up hope. That is why I mention the idea of two different sections. I know back then that all I would have been looking for would have been hope and support and the negativity could have possibly taken that away from me.
Unregistered
I don't mean to for that to sound like i'm a horrible person as I think Tess' situation sounds unbearable and I don't wish to take away from that one bit, it's just that I find it really hard when it seems there is an ocd competition going on.
Just because someone looks as if they are coping doesn't mean they are, we have no idea what is going on in that poor man's head and regardless of his level of distress he is still struggling with ocd as we all are or were therefore I don't feel like we should be debating about who's situation is worse than who's
I agree with Strowdy that we have no way of knowing what is going on in Dean’s mind. I am in no way belittling his problems. I just feel that because OCD is regarded as either a joke or a slight inconvenience, a stronger message needs to be conveyed. Dean may be enduring a life of hell, but it didn’t come across , but that was not Dean’s fault. Strowdy, it’s not a case of whose OCD is worse, it’s simply a case of reaching an ignorant public in the best possible way.
As someone who has appeared negative here, I do empathise with what you said about the support and positive encouragement you would have needed, Strowdy. But, like Tess, I am torn, because I also know that an over positive response can harm certain people. I know that many people who have struggled to improve can feel utterly despondent and so guilty for affecting their families, if they are told that with determination anyone can beat this. To hear how Tess dealt with that policeman, on the most traumatic of occasions, would not only move them deeply, but make them realise how terribly hard OCD can be to overcome for some, and they may feel less alone and less guilty. It isn’t a case of let’s wallow and be negative. Let’s just be realistic. Firstly, OCD, no matter what symptom, when severe, is a living hell. I don’t think anyone here will disagree with that. Secondly, despite the best will in the world and the best of therapists, not all will improve. Most will, and we do have to give hope and encouragement. But there is a balance, and again, like Tess, I don’t think it’s an easy one to find.
Strowdy, possibly your suggestion with the forum would work, I don’t know.
I do feel that if Tess spoke for two and a quarter minutes on national television it would have a great impact on millions of people.
BT, totally agree with what you have said its not a competition about whose ocd is worse or who has suffered the most its more about reaching an ignorant public who donot understand how debilitating this condition is.
Tess you said you have been trying to raise awareness for the last two years - how do we go about this. I wish I could do something possitive to help other suffers
Unregistered
That was one of my points, it's easy to complain about how the Media portrays OCD but as with anything in life but if you don't do something about it then nothing is going to change. Perhaps Tess should tell her story on TV, it would be good for the public to see??
I know how it feels to feel utterly despondent and to feel guilt for affecting family too, it's not like i've had an easy ride of it myself, far far from it, but I still know how essential positivity is to enable you to get better.
What worries me is there are a lot of cases on the forum where negative points of view come up when that person hasn't even begun their journey of learning how to fight ocd yet. They are fed negativity before they have even summoned the strength to start the fight so how on earth are they ever going to do it? I don't like to guarantee that everyone will get better and I know that some don't but without a positive and optimistic outlook you surely don't stand a chance from the start either way??
I apologise that this thread has somewhat veered from the original post. In summary, I think the programme could have been longer and could have shown more but we don't know if the content was a true reflection of his life, his choice to limit the content or just The One Show's editing. Either way, there is no point complaining about the lack of information about ocd out there if people are not willing to put themselves forward for the task.
Much as Tess' story moved me, and much as I hate to say this, I really don't understand what relevance it had to the thread other than competing as to who's life is worse? I really am truly sorry to say that as it sounds awful (and I truly do feel bad for her situation) but it's true. No one said that Tess' views about how OCD can affect our lives were harsh. The only harsh thing mentioned was pointing out that something didn't move you when someone else has just said that it upset them. I don't really understand where it all came from.
Unregistered
Hi Allison
I think i'm being misunderstood again, I do not think it's a competition myself, far from it, I think that the arguement Tess has brought up has made it appear to be a competition about whose ocd/life is worse. I feel sorry for anyone with ocd no matter how bad it is.
Also, to raise awareness you can contact OCD Action to become an 'Awareness Champion' (http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/help-us/volunteer/) where you can distribute leaflets and generally raise awareness
Alison on a side line to your post i was wondering why you were changing from prozac? My doctor was thinking along the lines of changing my meds but i was very concerned on how i would cope coming off one med and going onto another the prozac does work for me for a certain extent but not as good as it used to.
Regards Liz
Hi everyone and this is going to be my last post on this thread. BT has understood perfectly why I felt the need to post as I did and there is no need for me to explain further. In no way have I ever viewed this as a competition as to who's OCD is the worst and quite frankly Strowdy I find that suggestion extremely nasty.
In answer to Allison's query about raising awareness there are many opportunities both within OCD Action and via other routes. You will need to obtain publicity material to hand out and I have found OCD Action immensely supportive in providing all that is needed. You can run a local OCD Awareness event, possibly as part of OCD Week which will provide extra publicity via this website, you can contact your local newspaper/radio/TV and offer to speak about your own experience of OCD. You can give talks to local organisations, they are always wanting speakers and again OCD Action can provide literature to help you.
I have told my personal story both on radio and in public, along with other sufferers whose own stories are also heartrending, as part of the awareness work which is being done by our local Rethink OCD support group and we have always received a positive response with people coming up to thank us for opening their eyes as to what OCD is all about.
Unregistered
I think perhaps i've realised the forum isn't for me, I find it a bit too hard being around all the negativity and the argumentative nature of some of the posts. As I said, maybe i'm too much of a softy. I apologise sincerely if I have upset you Tess, that was never my intention, I just genuinely don't understand the reasoning behind your post other than to show that your 'own experience is infinitely worse.' I took that as competing in who's ocd was worse and didn't feel that was appropriate. I don't like to think of anyone suffering with ocd, regardless of the degree of their suffering. I apologise if I got the wrong end of the the stick.
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