OCD Action

Joel
Key Master

As part of OCD Action's Stakeholder Event and AGM on Tuesday 3rd May we will be running discussion groups on a number of topics. We have opened up four threads on this forum to get the ball rolling. On this thread, we would like to hear your ideas and views on what are the burning issues that the Chartiy should be highlighting to the government and health services. Over the last few years the Charity has done a great deal to build up contacts in government and with key opinion leaders but what is the central issue that we should be rallying around - what is our call to arms? Please share your views ...
Joel

Tue Apr 12 2011 8:22:55 #
Tess
Member

Access to psychological treatment within an acceptable time frame.
No further reductions in resources or funding for people with OCD (and other mental health isuues) as a result of planned changes to the NHS.
No unneccessary stress placed on OCD sufferers by the Benefits system

Beacause - all of the above can not only lead to even more suffering and misery but getting it wrong can lead to increasing isolation, deepening depression and ultimately to suicide.

Tue Apr 12 2011 8:58:45 #
Tess
Member

A second thought on this matter - before we can decide on the most important issues to address we need to understand the problem - and there is still far more work which needs to be done. For example, how many people in the UK suffer fronm OCD? We don't know - estimates vary between 1 - 2 million people -to my mind a discrepancy of 1 million people is far too many. How many people with OCD self harm? - we don't know ... How many kill themselves - again we don't know and the reason we don't know is because OCD is lumped together in government statistics along with "generalised anxiety disorders", "psychological disorders", "neurological disorders" and other such terms. If the answers to these questions were known lobbying parliament would be an easier task.
So, what I am trying to say is that we need research and we need OCD to be categorised as a separate disorder in government forms and statistics, we therefore need it documented clearly at GP level which means better GP training and carried right through the mental health system because until we know the scale of the problem everyone is working to some extent in the dark.

Tue Apr 12 2011 17:24:05 #
Truddles
Member

I agree with Tess we do need far more research into OCD.

If psychology students and post grads are stuck for ideas for research projects perhaps we could suggest some ideas.
For instance
– Are children affected by having a parent with OCD?
– Why doesn’t CBT work for some people even if they're doing all that is asked of them? Could it be that the CBT hasn't been adequately tailored to their needs?
– Protocols for the minimum required in CBT for the various types of OCD.
– Comorbid neurological conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinsons disease etc.

All health professionals will encounter patients with OCD.
- All health professionals and allied professions will frequently encounter patients with OCD and yet many are completely oblivious as to exactly what OCD is and the severe impact that it can have on the sufferer’s life.
– Better education is therefore needed for all health and allied professions. Perhaps the IOP could do a video that included presentations from various specialists in OCD to be shown to all trainee health professionals etc and be available on line for any health professional to refer to. It could also be sent to all PCTs and CMHTs. In doing a video presentation this would remove the need for someone to go to each of the universities to give a lecture on OCD. Most professionals know about hand washing and checking but not some of the other types of OCD and most don’t know how to deal with a patient with OCD.
– Perhaps an email address that health and allied professionals could register with to get more information on how to deal with patients with OCD and if necessary questions referred to an OCD specialist.

Wed Apr 13 2011 12:34:51 #
Truddles
Member

Perhaps OCD Action could do a format for a letter outlining what OCD is and the treatments that we need etc that we could download and send to our MPs and PCTs?

Wed Apr 20 2011 10:09:53 #
Wombat140
Member

Further research idea:
- Whether people with autistic spectrum disorders suffer predominantly from different types of OCD (they're already known to be more susceptible to it generally).

The template letter might be good. Wouldn't be a big job.

Fri Apr 29 2011 19:35:19 #
Nimrod
Key Master

Just a reminder. The OCD Action Stakeholder event and AGM is at 6pm tomorrow (3rd May) at MIC, 81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ.

You don't have to be a member of OCD Action to attend, and there will be something for everybody in the stakeholder part of the meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM part of the eeting but you do have to be a member to vote.

It will be a good event and there will be a chance for everyone to have a say in the way OCD Action is run and what you would like to see the charity doing in the future.

Mon May 2 2011 18:57:57 #