Cognitive behaviour therapy
How can I get CBT?
Your doctor may refer you to a therapist who has been trained in CBT. This may be a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, or other health care professional. However, there is a limited number of CBT therapists available on the NHS and there may be waiting lists for therapists in some areas. However, government policy is to make CBT more widely available on the NHS.
Therapy is usually weekly sessions of about 50 minutes each, for several weeks. Sometimes this is done in a group setting, sometimes 'one to one', depending on various factors such as the severity of the problem. Sometimes, CBT is done by telephone conversations with a therapist.
How effective is CBT for OCD?
Of those who complete a course of CBT, there is a marked improvement in more than 3 in 4 cases. Symptoms may not go completely, but usually the obsessions and compulsions become much less of a problem. About 1 in 4 people with OCD find CBT too stressful and 'not for them'. However, cognitive therapy alone may help some people who find the full CBT too stressful.
Do-it-yourself CBT
CBT with the help of a trained therapist is best. However, some people prefer to tackle their problems themselves. There are a range of self-help books and leaflets on self-directed CBT. More recently, interactive CDs and websites are being developed and evaluated for self-directed CBT. See the resources below for further details.
There is another leaflet in this series called 'Obsessions and Compulsions - A Self Help Guide'. This may be a good start if you want to try self-directed CBT.
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