For Families and the People Who Love Someone with OCD
06 of 07Love sometimes means helping in a different way.
Family members are often drawn into OCD without realising. Answering the same question again. Waiting while a ritual is finished. Avoiding certain words, places or objects. This is sometimes called accommodation, and it is extremely common [3].
It comes from love. But over time, it can keep the OCD cycle going.
What can help
- Learn about OCD together.
- Stay calm and patient, even when it’s frustrating.
- Gently reduce how much you take part in rituals, ideally with guidance from their therapist.
- Celebrate small steps.
What to avoid
- “Just stop doing it.”
- Joking about OCD, or calling everyday habits “OCD”.
- Suddenly refusing to help without a plan. Changes work best when they’re agreed together.
Children with OCD
When a child needs food arranged a certain way or has a very specific routine, get curious about what happens if it changes. It could be a preference, a sensory need or part of a distressing ritual. An OCD-informed assessment can help make sense of persistent distress or disruption. For children with OCD, family-based treatment can help with symptoms and with how families respond to rituals [4].
Look after yourself too
Supporting someone with OCD can be draining. You deserve support of your own.
