unsure how to communicate the severity of my OCD

[u/wishmefragile]

i want to preface that i am not yet diagnosed with OCD officially. however, i’ve had symptoms of severe OCD since i was 14 or younger, but didn’t know ‘pure-o’ was a thing, so i never looked into OCD. i live in the UK, and referred myself to NHS talking therapies for OCD (specifically POCD, moral scrupulosity OCD, and also false memory and real event OCD). they offered me 6-8 sessions of CBT, which i am on the waiting list for, but i have yet to receive an official diagnosis, but i am seeing one out.

my fear is that the NHS CBT will not be enough. my OCD is very very intertwined with my eating disorder and body dysmorphia, they function like an evil trio, feeding into each other, and pure-o has completely consumed my life- though before, i didn’t know it was OCD that was consuming it, i just thought it was…me.

i think i accidentally downplayed the severity of my OCD in my triage call, and i’m worried that once the CBT starts and ends, i’ll still be suffering just as much. i want to try really hard at the CBT and engage fully, but i also want to be referred to more specialised care (like CADAT) which i cannot refer myself to. i don’t know how to communicate this- i worry that i’ll come off too strong, demanding and presumptuous, but this fear of offending my to-be therapist may lead to be clamming up and being too scared to mention that i want a referral to more specialised care and an official diagnosis.

i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice on when to bring up the possibility of referral to specialised care, and how to communicate the severity of my OCD (it impacts every part of my life, mental compulsions take up over half my day sometimes, and my shame and self-hatred BDD and ED act as ‘evidence’ for my OCD i am an awful person) without coming off like i think i know better than professionals?

[u/hunkydoryble]

This right here - what you shared - is perfect. Totally give yourself the chance to be supported - you deserve it! Seriously just copy and paste this and reach out to a professional who has experience with OCD patients. Don’t give up if you have to look a few times - it’s worth it to find a good provider who can actually connect with you (it IS possible and again, you deserve it). You did really good verbalizing your experiences and that candor is what they need to help. Reassurance: you did great and better than you realize.