How to get an OCD diagnosis
Getting an OCD diagnosis is an important step in understanding your experience and getting the right support.
If you’re wondering whether you might have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), seeking a professional assessment can help you to make sense of your experience and help get you the right support.
It can be daunting to reach out. As a first step, you may find our free OCD symptoms checker helpful to see if you may be struggling with obsessions and compulsions.
To make you feel more confident speaking to your GP or specialist, this page will walk you through what diagnosis involves and how professionals assess symptoms. You’ll also learn the difference between NHS and private pathways and what the next steps might be.
How OCD is diagnosed
It’s natural to feel nervous about seeking an OCD diagnosis, but understanding the process can relieve some of that unease. It’s designed to be supportive and help you to understand your experience and find the right path forward.
An OCD diagnosis is typically made by a qualified mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Depending on your situation and preference, this can happen through the NHS or private healthcare.
The professional will have a conversation with you about your experiences to help them recognise OCD and distinguish it from other conditions that can have similar symptoms. They might ask questions about:
- The types of thoughts, urges or behaviours you’re experiencing
- How often these occur and how much time they take up
- How these symptoms affect your daily life, such as your wellbeing and ability to work, study and socialise
What professionals look for in an OCD assessment
To diagnose OCD, both private and NHS professionals will assess your symptoms against criteria from established diagnostic guidelines (typically the DSM-5 or ICD-11) to determine whether you meet the threshold for OCD.
This means that professionals will look out for the traits associated with OCD to make a diagnosis, including:
- Recurrent and persistent obsessions (intrusive, unwanted thoughts, urges or images)
- Compulsions (repetitive behaviours or mental rituals) that you feel forced to perform in response to the obsession
- The obsessions and compulsions are time-consuming and take up more than an hour a day
- You recognise that these thoughts or behaviours are your own (not imposed externally)
- The symptoms cause significant distress or interference with day-to-day life, such as work, school or relationships
- The symptoms are not due to other mental health conditions or substance use
Possible questions asked during an assessment
A clinician will ask questions to better understand your experience. Thinking about these before your assessment can help you feel more prepared.
It’s important to remember that OCD can present in many ways and everyone has a different experience of this condition. That means, to be diagnosed with OCD, you don’t have to fit a textbook description, and you may not relate to every point.
Some possible questions a clinician may ask include:
- Do you ever have thoughts that feel intrusive or upsetting, like fearing you’ll harm someone, even though you don’t want to?
- Do you worry about things being contaminated, for example, after touching doorknobs, money or public surfaces?
- Do these thoughts cause you anxiety, distress or discomfort?
- Do you find yourself washing your hands many times in a row, even after they seem clean?
- Do you repeat certain words, prayers or numbers in your head to prevent something bad from happening?
- Do you believe these actions might prevent something bad from happening, or reduce your anxiety?
- When did your symptoms start?
- How do the symptoms affect your daily life?
- How much time do you typically spend on obsessions and compulsions?
How to get an OCD diagnosis
Knowing what support is available can help you to decide how to seek the most suitable advice and support for your situation and needs.
Whether you choose to go through the NHS or explore private care, both paths use evidence-based criteria to understand your symptoms and have broadly the same diagnostic process. There are some differences in terms of cost, waiting times and flexibility.
Seeking a private diagnosis
Going down the private route usually involves:
- Booking an appointment directly with a private psychiatrist or psychologist, such as at Priory
- Attending a thorough assessment, often with more time for discussion
- Receiving immediate follow-up options for therapy or treatment
At Priory, we offer fast, expert assessment by highly experienced clinicians who specialise in diagnosing and treating OCD.
Our private services mean shorter waiting times, flexible appointments (including online options), more choice around location and individually tailored treatment plans.
Free options for diagnosis
In the UK, you can begin by speaking to your GP. Your GP will listen to your concerns, ask some questions about what you’re experiencing and refer you to a mental health professional for a formal assessment, if appropriate.
This could be through:
- NHS Talking Therapies (also known as IAPT services), which offer psychological therapies like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
- A local community mental health team, especially if your symptoms are more complex or need more specialised support
In England, you have the option to self-refer directly to the NHS Talking Therapies without needing to speak to your GP first.
Note that NHS services can have long waiting times and it may take several weeks or months to get a full assessment or begin treatment.
Why getting a diagnosis can help
You might have doubts about whether getting a diagnosis is helpful. But remember that it’s a pathway to receiving support, not about labelling or judging you.
Getting an assessment helps the professional understand your unique circumstances and experiences, and tailor support that best meets your needs. It’s the first step towards accessing appropriate treatment, such as psychotherapy and medication.
A diagnosis can:
- Help you to make sense of what you’re experiencing
- Validate your struggles and show you’re not alone
- Enable you to get structured support, through the NHS or privately
- Help with practical support in education or work settings, for example, receiving reasonable adjustments
- Provide relief because you better understand what’s happening and how to move forward