First how can I best help my adult son who has OCD? And secondly ..How can I encourage him to get help / support ? I know that I can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to do or aren’t ready to do … let alone go to therapy. Is there a support group for families dealing w/ family members with OCD ?

You are right. If he's not ready to start treatment. I am not a therapist just someone who struggles with OCD. Here are some tips. 1. Educate yourself about OCD. If you don't have it yourself, it can be hard to understand why people with OCD think and act the way they do. A good book is OCD Travel Guide by Michael Parker. He does a good job explaining obsessions and compulsions. It is common for people with OCD to rope others into doing compulsions with them. Especially if they are dealing with contamination OCD. Don't let him do that. It is also common for people with OCD to seek reassurance. Do NOT give reassurance. It will relieve his anxiety for a short time, but ultimately, it will only make his OCD worse. Treatment for OCD is not fun or easy. There is no quick fix. Recovery is possible, but it takes time and hard work. Seeking treatment is scary. But you can't just wish OCD away. The longer it goes untreated, the worse it will get. I would ask your son if he wants to spend the rest of his life feeling and living the way he is right now? Unfortunately, some people have to hit rock bottom before they are willing to change. Hope this helps.

Hey I made long reply but it got deleted so just ask me any question and I will answer.

I agree with most of what Lms526 said, but I differ in opinion when it comes to prompting someone to imagine a lifetime of despair in the hopes that they'll see a therapist. I can see how that might be a useful exercise for certain individuals, but it might be unhelpful for others. Speaking from personal experience, it's not uncommon for some of us with ocd, myself included, to regard themselves through a perfectionistic lens. My tolerance for personal inconsistency used to be a lot lower, and I'd beat myself up any time I failed in the smallest way. I was also deathly afraid that I'd never really get better, because how could I when I was still able to fail so easily? Accepting my flaws and the possibility of failure was incredibly liberating because it gave me the freedom to work toward a better life without feeling as afraid of setbacks or as devastated at minor mistakes. For the first time, I was motivated by a desire for a better life rather than my fears of a terrifying one. So I think it can be helpful advice, but part of that depends on the person it is being given to, what motivates them best, and where they're at in life.