If you suspect you are suffering from perinatal OCD it is important to receive a diagnosis as this will help with accessing the right treatment for your recovery. OCD is a very treatable condition – your first step is to see your GP. The recommended treatment is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and/or medication. See section ‘About Perinatal OCD’ for further details.
Clinical support:
Dedicated Perinatal OCD Service – The Maudsley Hospital London
The Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma (CADAT) is both a local and a national specialist service for obsessive-compulsive disorder and can offer specialised CBT treatment for OCD with parents from pregnancy to three years postnatal. .
To discuss potential referrals, or if you have any queries about the service please email CADAT below:
Email: CADAT@slam.nhs.uk
Referrals can be made via the website: https://slam.nhs.uk/service-detail/service/centre-for-anxiety-disorders-and-trauma-112/
Mother and Baby Units
Sometimes a mum needs to receive some in-patient psychiatric care and across the UK there are dedicated Mother and Baby Units (MBU) which can provide (subject to availability) treatment whilst mum and baby stay together.
Click here to watch a short video which describes the Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit in the East London NHS Foundation Trust. This footage clearly defines what to expect when you spend time in a MBU and how it’s sole purpose is to help mum through mental health recovery.
For a list of Mother and Baby Units across the United Kingdom please click here to view the MMHA Everyone’s Business Campaign map page.
Choice of therapist
OCD Action has very helpfully described how you can access services and your right to choose who treats your OCD (with some criteria) please click on the link below for more details:
http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/articles/your-right-choose-who-treats-your-ocd-or-bdd
Some people choose not to wait for a CBT trained therapist on the National Health Service. If that is the case make sure that the therapist is accredited by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). This can be checked by using the ‘Find a Therapist’ register on their website (www.babcp.com)
Online patient information from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provide online patient information for both OCD and antenatal and postnatal mental health services:
NICE OCD patient information: click here
NICE Antenatal and postnatal mental health patient information click here
Peer support
OCD Action
OCD Action’s helpline operates between 9.30-5 Monday to Friday and volunteers are also able to call people back during the evenings. If when calling you are unable to get through, please leave a message and a volunteer will call you back as soon as possible.
You can contact the helpline on 0300 636 5478 or email support@ocdaction.org.uk
Perinatal OCD Skype/Phone Support Group Contact details:
OCD Action’s ‘Always Better Together’ Project run a Perinatal Skype/Phone support group. This takes places twice monthly on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, at 7pm.
For further details please click here and/or contact sign-up@ebtsupportgroups.co.uk
The Samaritans
For 24 hour support please see The Samaritans contact details below:
Tel: 116 123 (this is a free telephone number and will not appear on the phone bill)
Web: www.samaritans.org
Email: jo@samaritans.org
New Maternal OCD leaflet: Seeking Help with Practical Suggestions
Please click the link below to view / download a leaflet outlining how you can seek help:
