"Treatment for OCD"

I suffered from OCD and didn’t realise it was a problem until it started to affect me on a day to day basis. The hardest bit for me was accepting I had a problem and that repeating everything every time I did something became very tiring. So I decided to get some help. After being transferred and diagnosed with OCD I was put through to Inclusion Thurrock, the staff were so lovely over the phone and put me in a group course for three weeks before finding me an independent therapist to see. In the three weeks they talked me through everything they expected from me and everything we could expect from them. They broke down all the different types of therapy and counselling that they offered and went into detail about what each one covered. It was very helpful and gave me an insight of what the therapy was like, Depending on the different types of therapy or counselling you have there’s a different waiting time. My therapy had a waiting list up to 80 days. They also provided me with lots off support systems if I needed them and the leaflets I was  handed was very detailed and had phones numbers to different places if I needed them. I got a call from one of the woman who works there and she just asked how the group session was and that I was 42 days on the waiting list and that I’d have to wait another month. 2 days later I got a letter saying they have a therapist available, I was so amazed at how quick it all happened and how nice they were, I was very lucky I got my referral so quickly. I was put through to CPT  (Cognitive processing therapy) 

My first session was just getting to know my therapist and my therapist getting to know me. My therapist seemed so interested and paid full attention on what I was saying, she asked me questions and said there was no pressure for me to answer if I didn’t want to. At the beginning I wanted to make a goal for myself and my therapist supported me with it. As my sessions went on I learned more about OCD and understood that if you leave it, it will get worse even if you don’t notice it. The good thing was she gave me homework every week. Each week the homework was different but it helped me so much. Each week I focused on reducing certain things and not giving into wanting to repeat things. I was given pieces of papers that explained and went into further detail about OCD and the different thoughts you get, this helped me a lot as when I felt the need to repeat things I looked at the paper and it made me realise what I was feeling and thinking,. My therapist was so happy and pleased that I didn’t go back to my old ways, that made me want to continue more. The good thing about Inclusion Thurrock was the fact that the staff were very honest. They guided me in the right way and that’s what made me not go back to my old ways. 

My last session was a weird session, I had nothing to talk about because I’d already done everything and wasn’t struggling with anything, I kept in mind what I needed to do and how I needed to cope with situations, I was given amazing coping methods and ways to acknowledge when my OCD is getting too much. My therapist was very kind and told me I could call back if my OCD started creeping up again and if I was struggling. Even though it was my last session it still felt like I still had support. Nothing could’ve been better because everything was perfect. The people at Inclusion Thurrock have honestly changed my life and I can now live a happy and more free life. My family and friends have noticed a huge change in me. Inclusion Thurrock has also taught me that in some cases my OCD can get worse but they’ve also taught me how to cope with it. If you keep up with the homework and work towards getting better then you can.