Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition that can affect children and young people. A person with OCD feels they have to perform certain rituals or repetitive behaviours. These are known as compulsions to get rid of unwanted thoughts, images or urges that keep entering their mind, which are known as obsessions.

Someone with OCD may develop an obsessive thought, for example they may believe that something terrible is going to happen to them or their family. To get rid of this thought, they might perform compulsions, including:

excessive handwashing
checking something over and over again
excessive cleaning
counting or repeating words
excessive praying

OCD can be distressing. The obsessions and compulsions are time-consuming and can stop you carrying on with your daily activities. You will likely feel a need to control your thoughts and feel that the only way of coping with them is by repeating the compulsive behaviour.

Body dysmorphic disorder is another type of mental health condition where you also experience obsessive worries, but these are specifically about your physical appearance.

You may have a physical flaw which is either very slight or not seen by others at all. You may then perform repetitive behaviours to deal with your worries, such as body checking, doing things to hide or fix the perceived flaw, or seeking reassurance from others.

These thoughts and behaviours take up a lot of your time and can cause distress. BDD can impact on important areas of your everyday life, for example going out in public.

If you think you, your child or young person might be experiencing OCD, a first step to finding support is to understand more about the signs and symptoms. Look at our advice and support in the section further down this page to find out more.

If you already have a diagnosis of OCD or you are waiting to be diagnosed, there are lots of services to support you with your mental health and wellbeing.

People with OCD can experience all the things that others without the condition may struggle with, like anxiety or low mood.

CAMHS supports people with OCD who also have other mental health difficulties. Visit here for further information about the support you might need.

If you think you, your child or young person you care for might be experiencing OCD, the following self-help resources will help explain the signs and symptoms:

Reading Well: books for younger children to help understand their feelings.
Young Minds: further information on OCD and supporting mental health.
OCD Youth
OCDAction

If you think you, your child or young person you care for, might be experiencing BDD, the following self-help resources will help explain the signs and symptoms:

BDD in teens and young adults

For further support on treating OCD, the following support services can help:

The Mix: UK-based charity that provides free, confidential support for young people under 25 via online, social media and mobile.
Off The Record: sign up to one of their groups to start building resilience and develop some coping strategies. You could also sign up to one-to-one therapy with a professional or build your confidence through Pro Real, their virtual reality form of counselling. Should we be mentioning specific therapy like CBT here.
Kooth: join an online mental wellbeing community and talk to a trained counsellor through their chat function. Visit the online forum for peer support and to hear from others experiencing similar difficulties. 
Childline: offers support to anyone under 19. Offers telephone support, one-to-one counsellor chat and email support. Contact 0800 11 11.

You may need a referral to CAMHS for further help. Please speak to your GP, staff at school or other trusted professionals who can help you with a referral. Professionals can find information on how to refer to CAMHS our Professionals page.

Page last updated: 28 March 2022