Reply #13: I would broach it when.... [View All]

[woo me with science]

she seems in distress over it. If she isn't bothered by the symptoms, there is little chance that she'll want to seek treatment and risk getting a label.

For a lot of people with OCD, the symptoms tend to "creep" and become more time-consuming and intrusive over time if not treated. For example, I knew someone who had to count to eight when she had an intrusive image. Over time, she started to have to count to eight, eight times, and then to add eight movements or eight cycles of movements.... Eventually she ended up getting up an hour earlier, then two hours earlier, to fit in all the rituals she was developing. People with OCD can be afraid that the rituals mean that they're "crazy" or that other people will think that they're crazy, so they often try to hide what's going on. If you can approach her when she is distressed over the symptoms, she may be more open to reading information that will help her understand what is happening to her. If you broach it at the right time, it can come as a relief that it actually has a label and can be treated.

You might want to look around for some reading material that you can have handy when she seems ready for a conversation. Pick something that includes a description of symptoms that she can relate to, and that stresses the effectiveness of treatment. That way her first message about OCD is a hopeful one. Avoid the scary case studies and anything that will make her shut down more. You can't force her to get treatment, but it may actually come as a relief to her that someone understands.