Highly Specialised Services for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs) and Applied Neuroscience
What does the service provide?
Our Highly Specialised Services for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs) and Applied Neuroscience is one of four NHS England Commissioned services providing care and treatment to people who have failed to respond to all available pharmacological and psychological treatments whilst under the care of their local NHS Mental Health Trust. Patients are referred nationally from any NHS Trust in England and cover a wide geographical spread. We also work collaboratively with colleagues in primary, community and acute mental health services.
What is an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders are a group of fairly common mental health disorders that are characterized by recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive unwanted behaviours (compulsions) that the individual is unable to resist. The symptoms may cause a great deal of distress and interference in everyday living, and can commonly result in anxiety and depression. In severe cases, the symptoms may require hospital care.
There are several related types of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which is usually (but not always) characterized by obsessions revolving around harm, contamination, taboo thoughts or the need for things to be orderly, and linked to checking, washing and ordering and arranging compulsions.
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which is usually characterized by obsessions and checking compulsions revolving around concerns about bodily appearance and sometimes resulting in unnecessary seeking of cosmetic surgery.
- Hoarding disorder, which is usually characterized by an inability to discard unwanted possessions and compulsive acquisition resulting in excessive clutter.
- Hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania) which is usually characterized by an inability to resist the urge to pull out hair from any site in the body often resulting in unsightly bald patches
- Skin-Picking disorder (excoriation disorder) which is usually characterized by an inability to resist the urge to pick the skin, often resulting in skin damage and scarring.