How can I help my husband, who I think has obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Question

How do I know if my husband is obsessive-compulsive, or just a "neat freak?" And if he could possibly have OCD, how can I help him?

Answer 1

You can call and make an initial appointment to speak with a mental health counselor, yourself. Call your county mental health offices/ behavioral health, some call it now.

Before you go, consider writing down 2 weeks of issues you have seen in your husband. You may also want to document, as best you can, his diet and frequency of eating, sleep pattern, and any unusual stresses you may be aware of.

As you lay out a calendar of sorts, this is an excellent tool for the counselor to consider as evidence of his possible problems you suspect.

The counselor can educate you on what to watch for,
how to deal with his issues without provoking him more - you can learn to lower the stress of your comments and reactions.
And, the counselor can assist you in knowing when it is time to get him help. Sometimes there are written or multiple choice tests people are asked to take that can be very helpful in determining a person's ability to function, or where they might be "stuck".
Once your husband has been evaluated, a treatment plan can be developed to address his issues over a period of time.

Just a suggestion - as a way to get him to go in - consider marriage counseling, this way he won't feel like it's all focused on him or that he's the "bad guy". From there they would assess the both of you individually. (from my experience) Recommendations can be made to address individual issues before the person is "ready" for couples work.

Answer 2

Get him to a therapist/psychiatrist.