During this podcast episode, Lou will be discussing what OCD is and how it affects individuals who have it. OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is an anxiety disorder that centres around having an obsession of some sort. These obsessions can be related to anything, but they are usually negative and focus on intrusive thoughts.

Common themes of obsessions and intrusive thoughts include harming oneself or others, blasphemous thoughts, and sexual obsessions. However, the obsession that is most commonly associated with OCD in the media is cleanliness or contamination. This involves having a very clean house and being very particular about one's surroundings.

However, there are many different layers of OCD, and obsessions can range from anything. Lou's personal experience with OCD is related to harm OCD, which involves obsessing over the idea of hurting people in her family. Intrusive thoughts surrounding this usually focus on sharp household objects like knives.

Lou also talks about her experience with OCD and how it has affected her life. She begins by saying that although OCD has been a painful part of her development and upbringing, she is grateful for it in a way because it has made her more empathetic towards others who may be going through similar experiences.

Lou talks about the importance of creating a safe and understanding environment for people to express their thoughts and feelings. She mentions that she has cultivated an approach that encourages active listening and encourages others to speak up. She suggests starting small with your own social circle and gradually expanding to wider communities.

Lou explains that the experience of seeking a diagnosis was drawn out, but not necessarily painful. She had a feeling in her chest that she knew she had OCD since her teenage years, but she had never been officially diagnosed. She kept this knowledge to herself until she began to really struggle, at which point she sought professional help.

Lou went to the University of Kent, where she sought counselling. She guided the conversation because she knew within herself that she had OCD, but she found that the person counselling her lacked the necessary specialism. Lou felt like she was teaching her counsellor what OCD was and that she had to take a step backwards in the conversation. She was given a leaflet that outlined the symptoms of OCD, but she already knew them and wanted to discuss her personal experiences with the disorder.

Lou shares her experience being a part of the University of Cambridge's OCD Department as an experimental participant. She initially contacted the university in 2018 after finding information on the OCD Action website about their research on habit formation in people with OCD versus those without. Although Lou did not have an official diagnosis at the time, the university arranged for her to have a session with their on-site psychologist, who confirmed that she had OCD.

Lou has been involved in various studies at the university for the past four years, visiting around twice a year. The studies focus on habit formation, including how the brains of people with OCD and those without form habits and how difficult they find it to break them. 

One of the studies involved an app developed by the university to help with habit formation. The app required participants to remember a tune and play it on a tiny piano on the app. The app would then remove the sound and shapes, and participants had to try to remember and play the tune without them. 

Thank you for watching this video and for joining us in this important conversation about OCD. If you or someone you know is struggling with OCD, there is help available. Please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

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