“We were aware that there were no OCD support groups in Cambridgeshire. Dennis (a member of the group) rang Cam-mind every so often asking if they could help to start a group.

Cam-mind were keen to help but had limited resources. But the day finally came when Dennis made his call and got the answer he was hoping for. Cam-mind asked their then social work student, Katie (who was working on a placement at Cam Mind) if she would help set the group up as part her placement work. So the group was born about two and a half years ago.

Initially the group was led by Katie, and then by Aly from Cam-mind. For the past 18 months, the group has been led by group members Lesley and Gill. We meet fortnightly for mutual support. We also arrange speakers and social events from time to time, depending on what the group would like to do.”

“My partner and I have been attending the OCD support group at Cam mind for a couple of months now and we both find it a great help and support. We were searching for quite a while to find a support group in our own area of St Ives but there is not one so Cambridge is our nearest.

Although having OCD does mean that time keeping is a bit of an issue — the group lasts for an hour and a half, we usually only get the last three quarters of that but even that is extremely beneficial.

OCD is an isolating condition and to be sat around a table having coffee and chatting to people who know exactly what you are going through is a huge support to us.

Every single person that attends brings so much to the group, it is a source of information and we share our experiences good and bad, so far it seems for every problem brought to the table, someone has had a solution. I don't think we would be as far advanced in recovery without something regular like this. OCD sufferers know that the NHS has limited resources for us and we need to maintain this type of support rather than monthly or bi monthly CBT sessions.”

“As a sufferer from OCD I have been attending the bi-weekly meetings on Monday evenings for a couple of months already. I found them to be a great opportunity to discuss related matters in addition to my Psychotherapy sessions in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The often tragic and at the same time comic daily routine of OCD patients is naturally best understood by people who are familiar with the illness, either by own experience or by being a relative of a sufferer. Also, there is much to learn by seeing how other OCD affected people cope with this illness. Recognizing my own behaviour patterns in the stories of other sufferers helps me to identify my symptoms more clearly and to accept the illness better — certainly an important step in fighting my OCD.”

“I have had OCD for the last 23 years. It started when I was 27 years old at a stressful time when I had started a new job as a paediatric physiotherapist.

My overall fear is causing harm to people in any way. It started with me convinced I'd left the tap on where I lived at the time. Having gone to work I remember having to go back home in the lunch hour to check the tap. I had visions of the bathroom flooding.

After that I was continually checking taps every time I used them. It gradually spread to checking electrical and gas appliances, worrying that I would knock bins over in the street, contamination issues. It was very frightening at the time and I didn't know what was happening. I thought I was going round the bend.

I was eventually diagnosed as having OCD about a year after it had started. Here began my encounter with the mental health services. I was started on some medication and had some therapy. The OCD gradually spread so it was affecting my work quite badly. After 10 years of working with OCD I had to finish work on health grounds. On finishing work I suffered from quite severe depression as well and had therapy (CBT) for 4 years.

Today OCD is very much part of my life but I can get on with other things as well. I find having a routine is important. Life is not easy but I think acceptance is important.”

“I first noticed that I was not ‘comfortable in my own skin’ when I was at junior school. I felt self-conscious and was definitely not a ‘natural performer’ when it came to the Christmas nativity play! I found it easier to melt into the background of the school choir; which I did enjoy. I guess there was safety in numbers!

Growing up through secondary school was not an easy process for me. I suppose that many people would say that! I was bright academically but struggled with social interactions. I realised that I was shy — painfully shy on occasions. However, I have since come to realise (about 35 years later) that I was affected by a form of OCD called BDD (Body Dismorphic Disorder). I can picture myself now looking in the school cloakroom mirror and being very anxious if anyone else came in. This happened quite a lot (as you might imagine in a busy school cloakroom). Also, schoolchildren are not known for their compassion towards their peers. Therefore, I was not comfortable about discussing my fears with anyone. I kept it very much to myself.

My fear was that someone would see me looking in the mirror and I would go BRIGHT RED! This is how my shyness has mainly manifested itself over the years. Also, my fear of having my photograph taken has resulted in some horrendous strained expressions and false smiles. Of course these issues have been magnified in my mind; and often not even noticed by others. In fact ‘not being noticed by others’ was quite a good outcome for me.

However, somehow; through sheer determination and life experience; I have managed to overcome my BDD; and even my fear of having my photograph taken! There has been quite a lot of therapy also. I started my counselling training about 9 years ago; and have never looked back. Through this training, personal therapy and forcing myself to confront my fears (well most of them!); I can now live my life without fear of going red (which of course I still do sometimes), having my photograph taken or even having this story published! I hope that my story will encourage others who may have BDD to seek help from someone, who can support them in looking for their own solutions to this often debilitating anxiety.”