Write an article based on this "Avoid enabling behaviors. Keep your regular schedule. Request that your loved one limit OCD behaviors to certain areas of the house. Help distract your loved one from their thoughts. Don't label or blame the person for his OCD. Create a supportive environment for your loved one. Involve your loved one in decisions. Celebrate small steps. Learn ways to reduce stress in the household."
A family member or loved one with OCD can heavily influence the household atmosphere and schedule. It is just as important to know which behaviors reduce anxiety but enable the cycle of OCD to continue. It is tempting for family members to participate or allow rituals to continue. By accommodating your loved one in these ways, you are perpetuating their cycle of fear, obsession, anxiety, and compulsion. In fact, research has shown that accommodating the person's request to comply with rituals or alter routines actually produces worse presentations of symptoms of OCD. Some rituals that you may need to avoid enabling include: answering repeated questions, reassuring the person about his fears, allowing the person to dictate seating at the dinner table, or asking others to perform certain things several times before serving food. It is easy to fall into this enabling behavior because the rituals and behaviors are seen as harmless. However, if the enabling has been going on for a long time, suddenly stopping all ritual involvement and reassurance may be too abrupt. Inform the person you will be decreasing your involvement in their rituals, then create a limit for how many times a day you will help with rituals. Then slowly reduce this number until you are no longer a participant. It may be helpful for you to keep an observation journal, noting when symptoms seem to come up or worsen. This is especially helpful if the family member with OCD is a child. Though it's a stress point for this person and it'll be difficult not to succumb to his desires, it's important that you and others around this person continue life as normal. Instead, come up with a family agreement that your loved one's condition will not alter the family routines or schedules. Make sure that your loved one knows you are there to support him, and you see that his distress is real, but you will not support his disorder. If your loved one needs to engage in certain OCD behaviors, suggest that these happen in certain rooms. Keep communal rooms free from OCD behaviors. For example, if your loved one needs to check that the windows are locked, suggest that he does this in the bedroom and bathroom, but not in the living room or kitchen. When your loved one is faced with the urge to engage in compulsive behavior, you can help by offering some type of distraction such as going for a walk or listening to music. Try to avoid labeling your loved one as his OCD condition. Avoid blaming or chastising your loved one when his behavior becomes frustrating or overwhelming. This is not productive for your relationship or for your loved one's health. Regardless of how you feel about the OCD, you need to be encouraging. Ask your family member about his specific fear, obsession, and compulsion. Ask him how you can help him decrease his symptom (outside of complying with his rituals). Explain in a calm voice that the compulsions are a symptom of the OCD and tell him that you won't participate in the compulsions. This gentle reminder may be just what he needs to resist the compulsions this time, which can lead to more instances where he is able to resist them. This is very different than accommodating your loved one. Being supportive does not mean allowing the behaviors. It means holding the person accountable in a supportive way and offering a hug when he needs it. It's important that your loved one feels involved in decisions that are made about his OCD. This is especially true for a child with OCD. Talk with your loved one to find out if he wants to tell his teachers about his OCD, for example. Overcoming OCD can be a difficult road. When your loved one makes small improvements, congratulate him. Even if it seems like a small step, such as not checking the lights before bed, your loved one is making improvements. Many times, family members become involved in a loved one's rituals in an attempt to reduce the person's distress or to avoid confrontation. Reduce stress by encouraging your family to learn relaxation techniques, such as yoga, mindful meditation, or deep breathing. Encourage them to exercise, adopt healthy eating habits, and get adequate sleep, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.