Should a medical professional diagnose OCD?

[davidaduckworthParticipant]

Should you really go to a medical professional to be diagnosed with OCD? I googled ‘Ocd diagnosis’ to get a rough idea of if I have OCD or not and found lots of useful stuff. I don’t believe it takes a medical professional to diagnose it, and sometimes my gp won’t tell me the truth about things anyway. I think if I just search on ‘OCD’ or ‘Obsessive compulsive disorder’ treatment, I can find enough stuff to help me. There’s a lot of detail about diagnosing and treating OCD on the internet, so why go to a doctor?

[johna2Participant]

I think that is a fair question. I think you may be able to self diagnose, and doctors can get it wrong, but it’s not a bad idea to get a confirmation. You won’t get access to ssris without having the doctor on board, but if you don’t want drugs….its up to you. No-one has the right to force you.

[Forum Moderators]

Hi:

We’re sorry you’re going through a difficult time with OCD and we want you to know that OCD Action offers several types of support for you.

You can contact the OCD Action Helpline and Email Service to talk to or email someone who understands OCD.

Our Helpline volunteers provide confidential information and support for people with OCD. Most volunteers have personal experience of OCD; all understand how it can impact your life. Contact our Helpline by:

• phone: 0300 636 5478
• email: support@ocdaction.orguk

Support groups for people with OCD offer a safe place where you can talk openly about OCD and support other people. Read information about UK-based groups here:

• OCD Action Skype/Phone/Zoom support groups: https://ocdaction.org.uk/i-need-support/ocd-action-skype-phone-zoom-support-groups/

If you don’t live in the UK, look for groups near you on the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) website. Under “Find Help”, choose “Listing Types”, then “Support Groups”: https://iocdf.org/

And please remember that you’re never alone – OCD Action is here to support you.

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.

[Author]

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