Unsolicited and intrusive thoughts are never fun, but they are rarely harmful — unless you cannot turn them off.
For the
Read more:
Samantha Jean was diagnosed with OCD at 11 years old, after her parents noticed her obsessive hand-washing and realized she needed help. She started medication along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and has been able to manage her symptoms for decades. Now in her 30s, she relies on her employee benefits for routine medication and to help during especially challenging times.
"My OCD has taken on new forms and bubbled up in certain time periods, and I have needed to rely on extra support, especially as a mother and a full-time working professional," says Jean. "Access to good, affordable health insurance is extremely important. I've recently had to increase the dosage of my medication, and I know I can start seeing a therapist regularly [again] if I need to."
Check out EBN's full special report on the
How much longer can employers endure rising healthcare costs? Why employers can't afford to stick with a traditional healthcare model WellTheory's CEO shares how a chronic disease diagnosis changed her approach to healthcare Why healthcare literacy is key to financial wellness
Though the Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that approximately 1.2% of the U.S. population has an OCD diagnosis, researchers estimate the number of people living with undiagnosed or untreated OCD to be far higher. Fear around disclosing symptoms is one reason for the gap — some studies have shown people with symptoms of OCD wait an average of 17 years before getting treatment — along with misdiagnosis and lack of access to OCD-specific care.
Read more:
In the workplace, those with OCD can struggle with missed days of work and incomplete tasks, along with high levels of stress over projects and an inability to focus — all which eventually affect an employer's bottom line. Gallup reports that over the course of a year, workers with fair to poor mental health miss almost 12 days of work and cost the economy nearly $48 billion in lost productivity.
Inclusive benefits can go a long way to offering employees relief, says Gregory Chasson, psychologist and director of behavioral interventions at the University of Chicago. Because there is no cure for OCD, offering employees mental health benefits that include no caps on therapy sessions and access to OCD specialists are extremely important. Organizations such as The International OCD Foundation and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies are a good place to find providers who are specially trained to treat OCD, he says.
"People with OCD tend to be highly conscientious, loyal and intelligent — they can be some of your best workers," says Chasson. "There's been this huge divide between how our society sees mental health versus physical health. There needs to be a climate of acceptance and awareness in the workplace."
Read more:
Paul Silva has found that culture at his workplace, after years of struggle. He first noticed the effects of his OCD while he was in high school, and dealt with debilitating perfectionism that eventually led him to drop out of college. He was finally diagnosed four years ago at age 28, and began cognitive behavioral therapy through the health benefits provided by his current employer. Today, he feels comfortable talking about his condition with his small, close-knit team.
"I didn't know I had OCD until much later, but thankfully I've done CBT, and that has helped me a lot," Silva says. By communicating with his employer early on, he was able to increase the number of covered CBT appointments, helping him to get the treatment he needed. "[Support from employers] is crucial. It's hard for people who don't have this to understand that. If more people talk about this, it means it is going to help educate everybody."
Jean notes that while she does not openly share her condition with her coworkers, she is grateful for her company's PTO policy, flex work and access to mental health apps. In addition to the need for these types of employer-provided benefits, she also stresses that employers can help reduce the stigma around mental health by engaging in open dialogue around wellness as a whole.
"Make sure there's open communication," Jean says. "There are probably more people than you realize who are dealing with something on a daily basis, or know someone who is, and this allows people to build trust and come to someone with issues or say they need time off without feeling ashamed."
