Canadians are marking OCD Awareness Week from Oct. 11 to 17 to increase understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder and reduce stigma.
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Canadians are marking OCD Awareness Week from Oct. 11 to 17, an annual campaign aimed at increasing understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and breaking down stigma around the condition.
The International OCD Foundation says OCD affects about 2 million people worldwide, while OCD North experts say the average wait time to receive an OCD diagnosis can range from nine to 17 years after symptoms begin.
OCD is characterized by intrusive, obsessive thoughts that trigger anxiety, which can lead people to develop repetitive behaviours or compulsions to reduce the discomfort.
Social worker Merrisa Little said she recognized gaps in care while studying in graduate school, after learning about OCD and the availability of treatment options.
Little later founded OCD North in 2018, describing it as a network of clinics specializing in Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), which she said teaches clients to face fear and learn over time that OCD does not need to control them.
She said misconceptions about OCD are common, including the way people casually use the term “OCD” to suggest benefits like being clean or organized, even though she said the disorder involves “scary thoughts” and anxiety driving the behaviours.
Little said OCD can remain distressing until compulsions stop quieting anxiety, and she said treatment can change responses that may feel positive when they are fear-based into responses driven by choice.
She said the ERP approach used at her clinics has an efficacy rate of about 75 per cent to 80 per cent, and that one of the biggest barriers to care is taking the first step to seek help by making a phone call.
Little said the root cause of OCD remains unknown, noting there may be both genetic and environmental components, with ongoing research exploring possible brain-related mechanisms, including a cortisol cortical loop.
She said learning about OCD and starting conversations that replace stigma with understanding are important, and added that recovery is possible for those living with the disorder.
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