A new knowledge hub has just been launched to make the latest brain research on OCD more accessible. The website was co-created by researchers, people living with OCD and charities to address some of the questions that young people and parents have about OCD and the brain.
Last year, I wrote about working with young people and their parents in a series of workshops, where they were invited to share their experiences, stories and questions about OCD in creative ways, including through poems, storyboards, letters, wishing tags, spirals and drawings.
Since then, the OCD and the Brain team have been working hard with community gatekeepers, charities and researchers to use the insights from the workshops, as well as their own experiences and expertise, to co-develop the OCD and the Brain website and animation.
As the OCD and the Brain website says, OCD is a mental illness that affects about 1-3% of the population. This means that across the world, millions of people are affected by OCD.
OCD is serious and debilitating, but it is treatable with the right support. People with OCD typically experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, combined with a chronic feeling of doubt or danger (obsessions). In order to quell the thought or quieten the anxiety, they will often repeat an action, again and again (compulsions).
Despite its debilitating effects, OCD is often neglected and carries a lot of stigma. Knowing more about the relationship between OCD and the brain can help some people living with OCD and others to better understand the condition.
If you would like any further information about living with OCD, two of the brilliant charities we worked with on this project (OCD Action and the International OCD Foundation) also have lots of excellent information and support on their websites.
Rachel Bower 