Why self-help ?

Self-help can cover a range of things, from finding a buddy, to keeping busy, using techniques like mindfulness etc. Self-help process that is explained on OCD Buddy is intended to help you devise a structured approach to defeat OCD. If you suffer from OCD for some time, it is very likely that some of the strategies mentioned in OCD Buddy have been tried by you before. We recommend, however, giving all of it a fresh try. This renewed try can be in combination with what you are already doing , be it therapies or medication.

It is very important that you see a psychiatrist or other relevant mental health professionals, to get yourself properly assessed and diagnosed, and to discuss the best management plan with your doctor. Self-help is best used in combination with other treatments for OCD.

Here’s why we think self-help is so essential :

• Sometimes, medication alone may not be enough to defeat OCD, this is when self-help strategies will help you in that battle ; help in making it easier to defeat OCD, but you still need to defeat OCD, and it will not just happen automatically. Self-help strategies will help you in that battle
• CBT sessions last for a very limited amount of time, and for the rest of the time you still need to keep OCD under check and actively work to defeat it. Once again, this is where self-help can be useful
• If, you are not trying medication or CBT, and cannot for whatever reason (perhaps you don’t have the access to the right treatment, perhaps there’s a heavy stigma associated in your culture, family that you just can’t overlook etc.) then self-help can be extremely useful in trying to tackle OCD