Could YOU have OCD and not know it? Experts warn two-thirds of sufferers go undiagnosed – and reveal the REAL symptoms

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an ‘invisible burden’ with two in three people with the debilitating condition going undiagnosed, experts have warned.

Medics said while conditions like ADHD are get public attention they deserve, OCD remains poorly understood by the public and is often untreated. 

They claim that while an estimated 750,000 Brits have OCD just a third are receiving medical support — putting some at increased risk of suicide. 

Common misconceptions of the condition mean sufferers often don’t realise they have it — and clinicians may also not recognise the signs.

Now specialists are launching a drive to highlight the symptoms that often get missed. 

OCD is mental health condition marked by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours that people struggle to control. Incessant handwashing in fear of contracting a disease is one common example listed by the NHS

These include constantly questioning your sexuality, being highly superstitious regarding certain numbers and colours and ‘excessive’ praying. 

OCD is mental health condition marked by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours that people struggle to control.

Examples include having an all-consuming fear of being burgled meaning a person has to check their doors and windows are locked several times before leaving their home or sleeping.

Cases are also known to strike new mothers who may obsessively check if their baby is breathing or incessantly worrying about sterilising bottles for feeding, fearing they harm their newborn.

And while often joked about on social media by people claiming to be ‘a bit OCD’ about aspects like tidiness, real examples of the condition can be seriously disruptive and distressing. 

However, despite this, many people suffer in silence due to shame or embarrassment over their condition, says Dr Himanshu Tyagi, a neuropsychiatrist at the mental health provider Priory. 

He warned that alongside what can be serious physical and mental burdens OCD sufferers who go undiagnosed may also suffer up to £1million in lost earnings over a 40-year period.

Another common form of OCD is compulsively checking doors are locked over a fear of being burgled  

As such he is calling for an increased awareness of OCD not only among potential patients and their friends and families, but also among medical professionals. 

‘We are experiencing a mental health crisis, but while there is growing public awareness of conditions such as ADHD, anxiety and depression, OCD is still a very misunderstood condition,’ he said.

‘Severe OCD can be as disabling as other serious mental health conditions, significantly impacting a person’s ability to function in daily life.

‘Sadly only around one third of OCD sufferers will ever receive a clinical diagnosis, in part due to limited understanding of the condition especially in its earlier stages or milder presentations when it is also likely to be more responsive to treatment.’

Speaking as part of OCD Awareness Week, Dr Tyagi added that, without treatment, OCD sufferers’ compulsions can escalate and intensify, becoming increasingly disruptive to a person’s life and, in some cases, can even become life-threatening. 

Karen Katz, OCD therapy lead at Priory Hospital North London, said many people overlook how debilitating the condition can be — with some even perceiving it as a positive trait linked to a desire for ‘order or cleanliness’. Stock image

‘Chronic OCD leads to high rates of hospitalisation and attempted suicide, significantly reduces the chances of people experiencing healthy relationships, and prevents people from living normal, happy lives,’ he said. 

‘Often people suffering with OCD are carrying an invisible burden, with compulsions or thoughts that others cannot easily see.’

‘OCD presents sufferers with such a heavy burden because it affects people in their formative years, thereby leaving a person without the skills required for daily living, sometimes even after successful treatment.’ 

Karen Katz, OCD therapy lead at Priory Hospital North London, added that many people overlook how debilitating the condition can be — with some even perceiving it as a positive trait.

‘The image of OCD as a positive personality trait couldn’t be further from the truth and it is important to distinguish between normal preferences for order or cleanliness and OCD,’ she said.

‘OCD involves distressing, time-consuming obsessions and compulsions that significantly interfere with daily life.’

People with potential OCD symptoms such experience frequent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours are encouraged to self-refer to NHS talking therapies or contact their GP.

OCD covers a host of potential behaviours with examples including distressing thoughts of a violent nature to incessant handwashing in fear of contracting a disease.

As such clinicians don’t limit the type of behaviour or thoughts when diagnosing OCD, instead it’s more about the relationship between the obsession and the compulsion.

The obsession part of OCD is whatever causes the unpleasant feelings of fear or anxiety, such as the doors of your house are unlocked.

This in turn triggers the compulsion, the need to do something to alleviate the distress the obsession has caused, although it might seem excessive and even unrealted to the original fear. 

Treatment for OCD usually consists of therapy but if this isn’t successful this is sometimes combined with medications like anti-depressants which can combat some of the symptoms.

Experts are still trying to unpick what exactly causes OCD.

There is some evidence it can run in families, though this it’s unclear if this purely genetic or from learned behaviour during childhood.

Other theories point to a chemical imbalance in the brain and this why antidepressants work, traumatic life events and personality type with some evidence neat or more anxious people are at greater risk of developing OCD.