At Uni With OCD? All You Need to Know is Here!

[Forum Moderators]

OCD at University: A Support Handbook

Hello students, prospective students, (also students’ relatives and friends)!

OCD Action knows living with and supporting someone with OCD at university can be challenging – but please remember you are not alone.

Whether you’re starting university, continuing studies or supporting a student, this Handbook is invaluable. It explains ways to make everyone’s university experience easier to navigate.

Some Areas Our Handbook Aims to Help With

• Understanding OCD and how it can affect university life.

• Accessing the right support, from disability services to wellbeing.

• Finding available treatment, and understanding and knowing the clinically recognised options.

• Advocating for people with OCD, including yourself, when speaking to tutors and support staff.

• Connecting with others to build a support network.

How Do I find more details?

Here’s a link to the Handbook poster: OCD at University – A Support Handbook for Students

Further Resources on Our Website

These were developed in collaboration with OCD Action and Student Space, a mental health initiative run by Student Minds. The resources offer safe and confidential support including: Treatment options

And please remember: OCD is here to help with university studies…and your life before and after!

[Forum Moderators]

Hey again:

Here’s the link to the Handbook discussed above, “OCD at University: A Support Handbook” on our website: https://ocdaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/OCD-at-University-A-Support-Handbook-for-Students.pdf

Wishing you the best of luck at Uni!

Forum Moderators

[Forum Moderators]

Hello:

We just want to be sure that Young People know that OCD Action has a Support Group just for you. For information on this group, see our website’s Support Groups page:

Groups for young people
Young people aged 16 – 20 with OCD or BDD (Thursday, Zoom)
First and third Thursday, 7pm

Our Support Groups

OCD Action’s Online Support Groups provide a safe and welcoming environment where you can connect with others with similar experiences and offer mutual support without judgement. All support groups are peer led and facilitated by a dedicated team of trained volunteers.

Our support groups are available to anyone based in the UK affected by OCD or a related condition. Groups include support  for parents and caregivers, partners and loved ones. Participatie via Zoom, camera on or off.

No internet access?We provide a limited number of places in our phone support groups.

[AnonymousParticipant]

This is such a useful resource for anyone navigating university life with OCD. The handbook makes things much clearer, especially around accessing support and knowing what services are actually available. For students who might still be struggling or feeling unsure about how OCD can impact day-to-day uni routines, there are other resources that offer advice and shared experiences:

• https://ocdaction.org.uk/resources/student-space-management-and-keeping-well/
• https://ocdaction.org.uk/resources/support-at-university/

They might be helpful to read alongside the handbook, as they cover some of the emotional and practical challenges other students have faced. You’re definitely not alone, and it’s great that these resources exist to make the transition easier.

[Forum Moderators]

Other OCD-Related Support Services – Find Out More!

In addition to OCD Action, other organisations provide useful, reliable and relevant support for people with OCD and OCD-related conditions and their friends, families and carers. Find out more on our Resources page: https://ocdaction.org.uk/resources/

These are just some of the many organisations:

Maternal OCD: They provide help for women with perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a debilitating anxiety disorder, which is treatable. Maternal OCD’s aims are to:

• Raise awareness of perinatal OCD to healthcare professionals, mums to be/new mums, researchers and national decision-makers
• Provide information and support to mums and their families
• Encourage and support perinatal OCD research

BDD Foundation: Provides support for people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a preoccupation with perceived defects/flaws in appearance, often cause excessive self-consciousness. The Foundation:

• explains that BDD is a treatable condition and how, with the right help, recovery is very possible.
• provides information on support and treatment services available to UK residents
• recognises that the BDD community is worldwide. They encourage everyone to seek help and support through online services that can be accessed anywhere.

Asto Clinics: Asto is a UK charity providing treatment based on what works for individuals living with OCD. Asto’s founder, Steve Turnock, suffered from severe OCD and is aware of how life-changing the right support can be.

International OCD Foundation: The IOCDF is a large nonprofit serving the OCD community world-wide, including family members and health professionals. The IOCDF is known for:

• Their mission – to ensure that no one affected by OCD and related disorders is alone. Their community provides help, healing and hope.
• Their vision – that everyone impacted by OCD and related disorders has access to effective treatment and support.
• Their work – providing up-to-date education and resources, quality professional training, and advancing research.

[Author]

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