How do I get my family to understand some of what I am going through and how the actions that they do could make it worse? I wish they weren’t so judgmental of the things I do. I truly feel like I can’t help it.

@callmekeek NOCD offers educational sessions for loved ones. The sessions are called “NOCD 411” and help loved ones learn more about OCD. Loved ones can reach out to our CareTeam at care@nocdhelp.com for more information or to schedule. I hope that helps!

I highly recommend sharing helpful resources for your family. It’s up to each person if they want to share specific themes, or just share general information about OCD. Starting with general information is usually a good place to start. Always make sure you are ONLY using valid and clinically-sound sources like NOCD’s blog articles, NOCD’s YouTube channel videos, or IOCDF at iocdf.org for instance

As someone whose lived with ocd for 20+ years, I’ll give you a dose of advice that may seem unconventional. Sometimes you have to accept that certain people in your life will not or are unwilling to understand your OCD. It’s always worth offering educational resources and opening a discussion, but it’s never worth compromising your progress by stressing yourself over others. I’ve learned it’s important to identify your support network, and then set a healthy boundary with others.

You can find grear articles about any type of OCD online. You could share those links with them. And/or, you could ask your therapist to explain it to them. It might help, if a medical professional explains your struggles to them.

There are some videos out there that could be helpful including videos of how family members can help loved ones with OCD. Look up Nathan Peterson on YouTube if you haven’t yet. He’s a LCSW with several videos on many topics.