Supporting People With OCD in Your Church

Psychology jargon always tends to find itself into common vernacular. Terms like triggered, depressed and OCD get thrown around so often that the words tend to lose meaning.

OCD has become a synonym for clean, maybe high strung, and type A. But really, like most things, the mental disorder is so much more complicated than that.

According to the Australian Department of Health, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder “involves constant unwanted thoughts, and often results in the performance of elaborate rituals to try to control or banish the persistent thoughts.” OCD is considered an anxiety disorder and can present itself in many ways.

As the term suggests, the disorder is made up of obsessions and compulsions. Repetitive and relentless thoughts and repetitive behaviours such as checking to quiet the obsessive thoughts. Many people with OCD experience shame or disgust at themselves for the thoughts that they have.

Imagine this, you see an older lady crossing the street and think for a split second that you could push her over. Everyone has thoughts like this but they just float away and have no staying power in the brain. But individuals with OCD could have these thoughts and they start to ‘mesh’ with their mind. Even though there is no logical reason for the thoughts, this person has never wanted to push an old lady into oncoming traffic, they may start to believe the thought is true.

The repetitive behaviours that the zeitgeist has clung onto is cleaning and hand washing. But these behaviours are just some of what is exhibited in those with OCD. A need for constant reassurance, following a strict routine, and checking the same thing over and over are other common reactions to intrusive thoughts.

For those with loved ones who have OCD it can be very hard to understand what is happening, or why the thoughts they have are so relentless and illogical. The most important thing to remember is that improvement is slow and patience is imperative. You may have the most logical and sophisticated reason for why the front door is in fact locked, but someone with OCD will still have the thought of ‘what if?’.

The Uniting Church is open about its support around mental health struggles but in a congregational context, what can be done to support those experiencing OCD? Not fully understanding an illness is never a reason to belittle or shame someone for their experiences. One easy thing to say to someone suffering is ‘God loves you and made you as you are’ and reminding them that they are never alone. Experiencing OCD, or any mental health issue, has nothing to do with anyone’s relationship with Christ.

Many people with OCD struggle with change, for the better or worse, so supporting your loved one through change is very important. Reminding them that their symptoms and reactions to change is completely normal and expected will reduce any feelings of anxiety or alienation.

Similarly, reminding your loved one that they have gotten through change before can help them to counter intrusive thoughts.

Here are some tips for helping people from your congregation dealing with OCD.

1. Encourage your congregation to treat mental illness the same as any other illness
2. Know when to bring in professionals eg. psychologist, psychiatrist
3. Integrate mental health into sermons making sure it is not taboo

These tips will make sure anyone struggling feels safe to approach those in their congregation. The most important way to support people with OCD is to listen and understand that this is a complicated disorder.

Susy Cornford