Most of us have worries, doubts and superstitious beliefs but when your thoughts and behaviour make no sense to other people, cause distress or become excessive it may be time to seek help before the situation gets out of hand. Frequently, mental health disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are mistakenly portrayed as a positive trait and personality quirk, but the reality is, for those that suffer from OCD, it can have a devastating impact on their life.

OCD is a common mental health condition in which a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. It affects men, women and children and can develop at any age. These thoughts can come in a variety of forms, but they often revolve around things like danger, dirt, contamination or past events. According to OCD UK, around three quarters of a million people are thought to be living with severe, life impacting and debilitating OCD here in the UK.

The Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) takes mental health very seriously and thanks to supporters like you who donate every month to powerLottery and help to fund EIC’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), the Charity is able to assist hundreds of our industry colleagues who are experiencing mental health issues and need support to lead a better quality of life. powerLottery not only funds EIC’s support programmes but also gives people like you a chance of winning some big cash prizes every month. For as little as £1 per month you can win up to 40 cash prizes ranging between £50 and up to £10,000 and help your struggling colleagues in their hour of need.

Recently, EIC was contacted by Louise, who was concerned about her husband James’ mental wellbeing. James was suffering from OCD and became fixated on an incident that happened about seven years ago, but he was unable to recall precisely what happened. This led him to feel a great deal of worry and anxiety about whether he had harmed someone. James obsessively began to seek answers by searching the internet for news clips and speaking to his friends who might have witnessed something. The efforts James went to in order to find certainty caused him psychological and emotional distress, and he subsequently engaged in suicidal thoughts as he felt desperate to silence his mind. However, Louise was pregnant with their first child, and James was determined to be around to support their unborn baby.

After hearing of James’ condition, EIC immediately offered assistance to both James and his wife. The Charity provided telephone counselling for Louise to give her the emotional support she needed during what was a very complex and uncertain time, while James was referred to the Charity’s online psychiatry services, who provided a one-hour Skype session with an assigned psychiatrist specialising in the area of OCD. The Charity also referred him to a specialist private clinic for OCD support, which included a seven-day programme of face-to-face support and group meetings.

James still experiences days of difficulty, but he is doing much better and both he and Louise know that should he need further support the EIC will be there every step of the way. The Charity is also continuing to check on how they are both doing to ensure that they are not facing any more difficulties.

OCD is a complex disorder and living with it can be a very challenging experience for both those who are suffering and their loved ones. However, with the right level of help and support mental health problems like OCD can be managed. There are no ‘quick fixes’ when it comes to mental health but EIC offers multiple resources and services that will support you and your family.

If you would like to show your support and make a difference in your colleagues’ lives, download the EIC powerLottery app and tap the app to play.