OCD Action is the largest national charity focusing on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They provide support and information to anybody affected by OCD, work to raise awareness of the disorder amongst the public and frontline healthcare workers, and strive to secure a better deal for people with OCD. They provide a support and information helpline
Locations we operate in
University Campus - 0300 636 5478
Loxton Road, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 4QU
Helpline - 0300 636 5478
OCD Action, Helpline, BA1
Helpline - 0300 636 5478
OCD Action, Helpline, BS23
Helpline - 0300 636 5478
OCD Action, Helpline, BS16
Services we Provide
Mental health
Overview
The OCD Action Helpline and Email Service is a confidential and unbiased service offering help, information and support for people with OCD, carers and anyone who is concerned that they, or their friends or relatives, may have OCD or a related disorder.
What we do
Helpline Support
When is it available?
Dependent upon volunteer availability: Monday – Friday 9.30am – 5pm. If we don't have a volunteer available please leave a message and we will aim to call you back within 24hrs of your call. We can also call you back in the evening - please let us know.
Who answers the phone?
Most of our helpline volunteers are people with personal experience of OCD who now feel strong enough to provide help and support to others. All of our volunteers fully understand OCD, its impact and what you are going through. Helpline volunteers undertake 3 days of formal training followed by a lengthy period of on-the-job observing and supervised call-making.
What can I expect?
You do not have to give your real name if you do not want to. We can listen supportively to you, tell you about the clinically effective treatment choices available through the NHS and how to access those treatments. There is no time limit to the length of the call – you may take as long as you need. We can also send free information packs and leaflets to you (all of our materials are sent under plain cover) – we will need your name and address to do this.
If you're about to start treatment i.e. CBT & ERP and would like some regular support one of our volunteers can arrange to telephone you every week or fortnight from just before you start treatment, throughout your course of CBT to up to a month after you finish. This on-going telephone support is our Next Steps project and you can arrange to have calls at a time/day/frequency that suits you - just ask the Helpline Volunteer about it when you call.
What the helpline doesn’t do
We cannot give a diagnosis over the phone – this must be done by your GP or a trained mental health professional in person.
We cannot recommend specific treatments, medications etc for you over the phone – this must be done by your mental health professional.
We cannot phone a family member/friend without them having contacted us.
Email Support
Who will answer my email?
Our trained volunteers, most of whom have personal experience of OCD, will respond to your e-mail.
How long will it take for my email to be answered?
We aim to respond to all e-mails within 3 working days. On submitting your email, you will receive an auto-response to let you know that we have received your message. Please do not respond to the auto-response.
What do I do if I am in crisis?
If you need to talk to somebody immediately, you may want to contact our helpline on 0845 390 6232. The helpline is open from 9.30am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday depending on the availability of volunteers. You can also request that one of our volunteers calls you back in the evening.
For support outside these hours, the Samaritans, www.samaritans.org.uk, provides confidential emotional support to those experiencing feelings of distress or despair. They can be contacted by phone 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90
Where we do it
The helpline and email service is available Nationally.
We do not deliver any support groups in the Avon and Somerset area.
How to access
Helpline Support
The number is 0845 390 6232
Calls are charged at a local rate from a standard BT land line, mobile phone charges may vary.
Email Support
OCD Action can provide support and information to you via e-mail. You can e-mail us at support@ocdaction.org.uk
Or if you prefer, click here to use the online form.
Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
Overview
The OCD Action Helpline and Email Service is a confidential and unbiased service offering help, information and support for people with OCD, carers and anyone who is concerned that they, or their friends or relatives, may have OCD or a related disorder.
What we do
HelplineSupport
When is it available?
Dependent upon volunteer availability: Monday – Friday 9.30am – 5pm. If we don't have a volunteer available please leave a message and we will aim to call you back within 24hrs of your call. We can also call you back in the evening - please let us know.
Who answers the phone?
Most of our helpline volunteers are people with personal experience of OCD who now feel strong enough to provide help and support to others. All of our volunteers fully understand OCD, its impact and what you are going through. Helpline volunteers undertake 3 days of formal training followed by a lengthy period of on-the-job observing and supervised call-taking.
What can I expect?
You do not have to give your real name if you do not want to. We can listen supportively to you, tell you about the clinically effective treatment choices available through the NHS and how to access those treatments. There is no time limit to the length of the call – you may take as long as you need. We can also send free information packs and leaflets to you (all of our materials are sent under plain cover) – we will need your name and address to do this.
If you're about to start treatment i.e. CBT & ERP and would like some regular support one of our volunteers can arrange to telephone you every week or fortnight from just before you start treatment, throughout your course of CBT to up to a month after you finish. This on-going telephone support is our Next Steps project and you can arrange to have calls at a
time/day/frequency that suits you - just ask the Helpline Volunteer about it when you call.
What the helpline doesn’t do
We cannot give a diagnosis over the phone – this must be done by your GP or a trained mental health professional in person.
We cannot recommend specific treatments, medications etc for you over the phone – this must be done by your mental health professional.
We cannot phone a family member/friend without them having contacted us.
Email Support
Who will answer my email?
Our trained volunteers, most of whom have personal experience of OCD, will respond to your e-mail.
How long will it take for my email to be answered?
We aim to respond to all e-mails within 3 working days. On submitting your email, you will receive an auto-response to let you know that we have received your message. Please do not respond to the auto-response.
What do I do if I am in crisis?
If you need to talk to somebody immediately, you may want to contact our helpline on 0845 390 6232. The helpline is open from 9.30am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday depending on the availability of volunteers. You can also requestthat one of our volunteers calls you back in the evening.
For support outside these hours, the Samaritans, www.samaritans.org.uk, provides confidential emotional support to those experiencing feelings of distress or despair. They can be contacted by phone 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90
Where we do it
The helpline and email service is available nationally.
We do not deliver any support groups in the Avon and Somerset area.
How to access
Helpline Support
The number is 0845 390 6232
Calls are charged at a local rate from a standard BT land line, mobile phone charges may vary.
Email Support
OCD Action can provide support and information to you via e-mail. You can e-mail us at support@ocdaction.org.uk
Or if you prefer, click here to use the online form.