Handy Handbook for University Students with OCD

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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:

• Support at university
• Treatment options
• Keeping well

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 support 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]

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.

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