Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex psychological condition that is poorly
understood in the public domain and commonly misrepresented in clinical settings.
Misunderstandings surrounding OCD are compounded by inaccurate portrayals of the condition
in the media which typically depict OCD in superficial and stereotypical ways. Furthermore,
research on OCD is conducted mainly through a quantitative, positivist lens, which does not
always speak to the nuances of lived experiences of the condition. Thus, individuals living with
OCD often do not recognise their intrusive thoughts and behaviours as OCD and remain without
help, on account of their experiences not aligning with conventional representations of the
condition. In this study, I aimed to qualitatively address the experiences and challenges of
seeking help for OCD among a group of South African adults, with a focus on the subjective
meanings they assigned to their experiences and challenges. Drawing on a social constructionist
framework and a narrative approach to analysis, I attempted to investigate participants’
experiences as understood by them, without relying on media stereotypes or clinical discourse.
Nine participants took part in semi-structured interviews conducted online and recorded via the
Zoom platform. After transcription, thematic analysis was used to organise the data into three
primary superordinate themes, namely i) a help-seeking journey, ii) a struggle, and iii) the
complexity of help. These findings complement existing literature describing a range of
challenges that exist in relation to seeking help for OCD. Moreover, they illustrate a more
nuanced, recursive, and non-linear journey of seeking help for OCD, compared to the linear,
straightforward help-seeking trajectories that are more commonly described in the literature. This
may normalise experiences among individuals sharing similar help-seeking struggles, and
iii
provide those who are supporting individuals with OCD (including clinicians, family members,
and loved ones) with a deeper understanding of these challenges. Importantly, participants’
narratives generate insight into alternative, non-medical sources of help that may be salient in
supporting individuals who are struggling with the condition, which has not yet been
comprehensively explored in research. Future work should explore the role of diverse, informal
sources of help for OCD, in addition to clinical intervention and treatment.