Blog

The Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University is looking at ways to measure and treat shame in the context of OCD. They would like to do a confidential video interview as part of their research. Alex is researching how we can measure shame. Benny is researching people’s experiences of therapy. Click those links to find out […]

So after a long wait, we expect our Psilocybin study to start early next year! If you are interested in registering your interest then please email Dr Kirran Ahmad at k.ahmad@imperial.ac.uk. Thank you again to those who supported our 2020 crowdfunding campaign to make this dream a reality. Orchard OCD will keep you updated on the study’s progress.

Good news! We are now hiring our first full-time staff position at Orchard OCD. We are seeking to recruit a full-time Fundraising and Communications Officer that can be based at our shared office space in Cambridge or remotely or a mix of both. This position will build on the successful fundraising we have been doing […]

It is thought that up to a third of people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have what is called Treatment–Resistant OCD, which means they do not respond to standard treatments like medication and CBT/ERP/psychotherapy. When OCD has become deeply and chronically embedded in the circuits of the brain, it is extremely hard to shift. It becomes embedded by the vicious circles […]

The phone rings. ‘Excuse me madam, we are extremely concerned about the amount of water your household is using, and strongly advise you check your property. We think you must have a leaking pipe. It is the only thing that could explain how a household of two people could use more than a typical household […]

CBT, and other ‘Talking Therapies’ present the following difficulties for some people with OCD. The therapist needs information about the problem. The patient has to explain what triggers the intrusive thoughts and the associated anxiety. Whilst explaining this, intrusive thoughts – and the extreme anxiety associated with these – are triggered. Imagine how you would […]

Samantha Crilly. An Unwanted Intruder. In Hope with OCD. Hammersmith Health Books. May 2018. Sam’s wonderful poetry book is due out on World’s Mental Health Day, October 2020! For the curious, you can pre-order it now from here.

A big thank you to Nathalia who wrote this weeks blog on OCD research participation. The worldwide prevalence of OCD is approximately 2% of the general population, and the average age of onset is 19.5. As debilitating as it already is, OCD is also highly comorbid with several mental health conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar […]

In this week’s blog we have an anonymous OCD story: OCD – where to begin? My body and mind shudders every time I see or hear that combination of letters. My skin crawls. Who knew an acronym could be so painful? Especially when referenced humoursly by close friends and TV celebrities. I have suffered from […]

We are recruiting a Fundraising and Communications Assistant for a six-month part-time position with Orchard, funded in part by the UK government’s Kickstart scheme. You will be assisting our communications lead, Juliet Rowe, and our chair and co-founder, Nick Sireau, with all our social media, e-news, website, online fundraising and communications. You will help prepare […]

It was joyous to hear my daughter say this. To share that rare and treasured moment with her. To see her smile, her eyes bright, face relaxed. To experience her fully present in that moment.  It was heart rending too. Because those moments are so rare for her. Too often she is frowning, a haunted […]

Orchard OCD has been working with an illustrator, animator & photographer called Khushi Inamdar. She has created an informative OCD animation. This short video explains OCD clearly and its misconceptions.