How to be an OCD ally: a short guide

The ultimate OCD ally guidelines: BEAD. BEAD is an acronym that stands for believe, educate, affirm, and do not do their compulsions for them.

B - Believe. When someone tells you they have OCD, believe them. It’s difficult to talk about, even to professionals sometimes. Remind that person how brave they are for sharing. Even if you know nothing about OCD, try to be there for them by saying “I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, what can I do to support you? I am here for you.” Listen to their needs and…

E - Educate. The more you know about OCD the more you can be there for someone. If you are knowledgeable about OCD, your loved one with OCD will feel understood and comfortable talking to you about it just like they would anything else. How else can you support them? See “affirm”!

A - Affirm. Saying things like “don’t worry about it,” or “it’s fine” can isolate someone with OCD. Instead, if someone tells you about their OCD, I encourage you to say “I’m so sorry, it sounds like OCD is being really loud today” or “OCD sucks, I’m sorry it’s bothering you right now.” Then, ask if there’s something you can do to help. Here’s an idea:

D - Do not do their compulsions for them. Sometimes people with OCD may ask for reassurance as a compulsion. If someone you know has OCD and they ask for reassurance on something, I urge you to gently ask them if their questioning is a compulsion. If they say yes, it is helpful to say “I’m not going to reassure you because I believe that you can sit in this discomfort. I believe in you. You are so strong.” Do not reassure the OCD, but reassure the person that they are so brave and strong and that you are there for them.

Add-on - Love! When people are struggling, sometimes they need others to hold hope for the future that they are not able to hold themselves. Loving someone can mean doing exactly that: never giving up on them. I hope you know that by reading this and educating yourself on OCD, you are already showing so much love and care. You are amazing, keep up the good work!

Use BEAD - add another bead to your superpower bracelet: OCD Ally