OCD is a chronic (long-term) mental health condition that is usually associated with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. It is primarily a type of anxiety disorder. It has two main features - Obsessions and Compulsions. 

Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of your control. The person does not want to have these ideas, finds them disturbing and intrusive, and usually  recognizes that they don’t really make sense. People with OCD may worry excessively about dirt and germs and be obsessed with the idea that they are contaminated or may contaminate others. Alternatively they may have obsessive fears of having inadvertently harmed someone else (perhaps while pulling the car out of the driveway), even though they usually know this is not realistic. Obsessions are accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a sensation that things have to be done in a way that is “just so.”

Compulsions are acts the person performs over and over again, often according to certain “rules.” People with an obsession about contamination may wash constantly to the point that their hands become raw and inflamed. A person may repeatedly check that she has turned off the stove or iron because of an obsessive fear of burning the house down. She may have to count certain objects over and over because of an obsession about losing them. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure. Rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by the obsessions.

OCD Ireland 

OCD Ireland Information

LEARNING SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT

Even very bright and motivated students can struggle with OCD. In fact, many students with OCD have average- to above-average levels of intelligence. Depending on the severity of the OCD symptoms, some students find it difficult to learn and, for some, it’s almost impossible to concentrate on and complete school-related work. The following are some of the learning difficulties students with OCD may experience:

• Often are unable to listen effectively and concentrate on what the teacher is saying.
• Student may appear distracted, or to be daydreaming, non-compliant, or disinterested
• Inability to read without their minds being drawn away from the words and into a world of relentless worries.  May also be unable to read because of the need to perform rituals (e.g., count every fifth word in each sentence or each paragraph).
• Unfocussed and lack ability to concentrate
• Not understanding the key points that the teacher stresses; they are not able to absorb the meaning and insights because they are distracted by the OCD
• Miss out on important instruction when lateness, school absenteeism or need to elave the classroom became a problem due to OCD symptoms/rituals  Gaps in instruction, in turn, may lead to serious academic problems.

LEARNING STRATEGIES 

• Learning Style - recognise your learning style - are you a linguistic, logical or kinesthetic learner?  This one piece of information can make everything click and come together - learners can then format notes and study material so that they can study in a way that 'custom fits' their particular learning style
• Time management and organisation - construct daily/weekly timetables to help stay on track with study; do not over fill the workload; Include study breaks, meal breaks, exercise and quality time with family and friends
• Sleep & Exercise - be well rested and mentally prepared for study. Regular exercise also serves as a stress reducer, releasing tension and stress from the body

OCD Ireland Support Strategies

Supports available

Parents of infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities can access the HSEʼs Early Intervention Teams. These multi-disciplinary teams consist of a range of professionals with expertise in child development including medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. They provide assessment and intervention services to the 0-5 age group.

If a parent has concerns regarding their childʼs developmental progress, they may seek to have the child referred for an Assessment of Need by the HSE. The assessment may screen for concerns in relation to the childʼs physical, cognitive, emotional, social and adaptive behaviour and identify areas of need. Following the assessment, a HSE Liaison Officer is required to prepare a service statement within a month of the assessment being completed. This service statement will state what services the child will require and an action plan will be developed to deal with how these are to be provided subject to resources.

Parents seeking an HSE Assessment of Need can ask their GP, Public Health Nurse or the childʼs Consultant to refer the child or they can make a parental referral by contacting their local HSE clinic.

Primary Education Level:

Most children with OCD attend mainstream primary and secondary schools with their peers unless they have additional needs requiring a special placement. Whilst having the same level of ability as their peers, children with OCD can be at risk of underperforming.

School-based learning support will not be provided unless the child is performing in the lowest range at school. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is responsible for providing assessments within schools. The School can commission a small number of assessments each year through the NEPS but waiting lists are lengthy and private assessments by NEPS approved psychologists will be accepted for this purpose.

If the child meets the assessment criteria, they may be awarded a set number of hours of resource time per week and may also be eligible for a Special Needs Assistant. Children with OCD may not meet the criteria for this support, but it is important to discuss any support concerns with the principal in the event that an assessment is warranted.

The Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) is an officer of the National Council for Special Education with responsibility for allocating resources to pupils with special needs and related issues in schools see www.ncse.ie for a list of SENOʼs in each county, NCSE Primary School resources.

Secondary Education Level

A student who has been receiving special education support or resources while in Primary School is eligible for continuation of support at secondary level, once they continue to have a special educational need.

The same general provisions he/she received in primary school apply at Secondary Level. This typically includes specialist teaching from a Learning Support or Special Education Resource teacher (both now referred to as Special Education teachers).

This support is provided based on need, with the number of hours of support determined by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) drawn up in the last year of primary school, NCSE Secondary School Resources.

There are levels and resources of support within learning in FET Further Education & Training courses, Reasonable Accomodations in FET 2022. 

Third Level:

OCD is is one of the Mental Health Conditions covered under the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) system, CAO DARE Information

Details of the DARE screening criteria for applicants with Bipolar Disorder are available DARE Mental health conditions information.

Research findings from AHEAD released in 2022 show that, of the total disabled student population (18,097) at Third Level 2021/2022 represented in the research, Mental Health Condition category at 27.1% (n=3,919) and the Significant Ongoing Illness category at 12.6% (n=2,284). The full report from AHEAD is available AHEAD Students with Disabilities in Higher Education 2021/2022.

Common Educational Supports - a range of common educational supports are in place at Third Level for students with disabilities. These include:

• Priority registration
• Reader service
• Use of audio-tape to record lectures and tutorials
• Assistive technology
• Materials in alternative formats
• Word-processing facilities
• Photocopying Facilities 
• Copies of lecturer's notes and/or overheads 
• Notetaker
• Time extension on out-of-lecture assignments
• Special Library Arrangements
• Counselling and Medical Services
• Study skills courses
• Examination provisions 

These and other supports available are outlined in detail in our 'Third Level Supports' area.

There are many different types of Assitive Technology to support you in your learning, AHEAD Assistive Tech Hive.

In the Workplace

Many organisations now make public claims to be an "equal opportunities employer". This suggests the existence of an equal opportunities policy (EOP), which is a policy statement adopted by the organisation declaring an intent not to discriminate and, further, to promote equality by taking steps to aid disadvantaged groups.  Such employers are in effect promising to avoid discrimination on grounds of sex or marital status, and may also make such a commitment in relation to people with a disability and racial and ethnic minorities.

NDA National Disability Authority Accessbility, communications, procurement guide, NDA Toolkit. 

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant (WEAG)

If you are a person with a disability who has been offered employment or are in employment, and require a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do your job, you or your employer may be able to get a grant towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment, Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant (WEAG).

To Disclose or Not to Disclose?

If you are feeling fine and your OCD symptoms have not created any limitations for you at work, then you may choose not to disclose your condition. You may want to tell your supervisors and coworkers, especially if you require accommodations to be made at work, AHEAD A Guide to Disclosure, 2023. 

Career Choice

Skills for workplace success fall into two main categories: hard skills and and soft skills. Hard skills are job-specific and they vary, depending upon the industry or field in which you want to work. For example, a graphic artist must have the computer skills that go with that job.

People with OCD may benefit from completing a Personal interest profiler and aptitude testing, which will help them identify potential career paths.

Soft skills are the personal characteristics that go with a variety of jobs - they include social skills, problem solving, communication, time management, and organisation. For example, a person who prefers to work alone might find a research job particularly appealing, Explore Career Skills in more detail.

Famous People with OCD

Well-known people with OCD who have succeeded in achieving numerous accomplishments include: Soccer Star David Beckham; Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Nicholas Cage, Charlize Theron; Singers Justin Timberlake and Niall Horan, Naturalist / Author, Charles Darwin.