0:00:02 > 0:00:06Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08We all think we know what it is.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10We even believe we've got a bit ourselves.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But I'm here to tell you, you don't know the half of it.
0:00:15 > 0:00:21The torture in my head because of that bloody drop of water in there.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Why does it bother me so much?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I'm meeting families who can tell you the real story.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I think the majority of people
0:00:28 > 0:00:32have no idea quite how far OCD can take you down.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35They've let cameras into their homes.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Absolutely everything is regulated by the OCD.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I like to be clean. I couldn't bear the thought of being dirty.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45As we focus a lens on mental health's hidden condition.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48About 18, often 20 hours are consumed with OCD.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I cannot live with this any longer.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I've been a professional actor now for over 30 years.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08So performing on stage and screen is par to the course,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11but it is a journey I've done with a constant unwelcome companion.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I love my job. I love being an actor.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21But it's a real struggle, because I suffer from a condition called OCD,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27For me, that means I can obsess about anything
0:01:27 > 0:01:31from a stain on a page of paper to the fear I'll injure myself
0:01:31 > 0:01:33from simply sitting down.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37It's not exactly helpful when you're trying to do your job.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Do you know what that is, son?
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Cowardice.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Say that again.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45'I remember this scene very clearly.'
0:01:45 > 0:01:47We were filming on a building site, and this was the workplace
0:01:47 > 0:01:51and it was particularly, er... messy.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55It was oil, grease. It was like stain central.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59The fear of getting dirty can compel me to carry out rituals to calm what
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I know are irrational thoughts.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04- 'Give the lad a bravery medal!' - And I struggled with this.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Fortunately I had, you know, the likes of Mikey,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09a very good friend of mine, and the crew
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and they were just really patient and understanding,
0:02:12 > 0:02:13but it was a struggle,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16because I'd just have this constant noise in my head
0:02:16 > 0:02:19about, you know, being surrounded by contamination.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22It would be hard.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I had to get up three times a night to care for a baby.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'I had to pick up a sobbing eight-year-old girl and rock her
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'in my arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right.'
0:02:34 > 0:02:38There are tens of thousands battling OCD in Wales alone.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I'm off to meet some of them to see how it's taking over their lives,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43and how they're fighting back.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Deon Gorle lives with his family near Carmarthen.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53He's had OCD for most of his life.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56For him, his OCD is particularly painful.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58He's overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts
0:02:58 > 0:03:01that his family will come to harm.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- She's gorgeous! - One ear forward, one backwards.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Why are you doing these compulsions, Deon? What will happen?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's an overbearing feeling
0:03:12 > 0:03:16that something bad will happen to a loved one.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21For example, today, Dawn I know has gone swimming with school.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24If I don't do these neutralising behaviours, these habits,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26then she'll drown.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31He's compelled to carry out a series of rituals to prevent such
0:03:31 > 0:03:33thoughts coming true.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39I have a counting pattern of five and four,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41being there were five people in my original family,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Dad, Mum, brother, sister and me.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47And then now, four being Dawn, me, Dominique and Danielle.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So these checking patterns
0:03:49 > 0:03:52have to be done in a five and four pattern.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And then if anything goes wrong, I then have to then do,
0:03:55 > 0:04:02that five and four thing, five and four times, being nine times nine.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03So again.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Deon says that his rituals became so time-consuming,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08they were taking up to 90% of his day.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14It's horrible to live with, only from the point of my frustration,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17because there was nothing that I could do to help him.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I had over 500 separate neutralising behaviours.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21500 separate OCDs.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26If I don't do this, what if something DOES happen?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31If it does by pure chance, I'm going to blame myself.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I've come back to my hometown of Flint, where I spent my school days.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Looking back, OCD was always there, hidden away,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47although I wasn't diagnosed until my 30s.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Now I'm keen to raise awareness.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I even wrote a film on OCD.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It included a lot of my own experiences growing up.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00So when it came to choosing the actor to play the main character,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03he has to be Welsh. He has to be brilliant.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Well, it's a no-brainer.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06It had to be Michael Sheen.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09- Habits.- What?
0:05:09 > 0:05:10I just realised, habits.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Wash my face, wash my hands, clean my teeth, rinse.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Check my face for spots, aftershave, hair, check my shoes for dog shit.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20And habits!
0:05:21 > 0:05:24All my OCDs! That's...
0:05:24 > 0:05:25That's what I used to call them.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28That's what I thought they were, just habits.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Great memories of kicking a ball around with my mates.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41But it's also the time when I first probably realised that I was
0:05:41 > 0:05:43different to the rest of the lads,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46because for some reason, whenever I was passed the ball,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I felt compelled to check my flies, to make sure they were done up.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54I now realise that was OCD.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Back then, just thought I was different and a little bit odd,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And with that, obviously, came embarrassment
0:06:00 > 0:06:01and huge, huge anxiety.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Because as much as I loved playing the game...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09..in a way, I hated being passed the ball.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15OCD has a habit of hanging around.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Sometimes it can take control.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I've come to Bridgend
0:06:25 > 0:06:28to meet compulsive cleaner and Corrie fan Leslie,
0:06:28 > 0:06:29and her daughter Tuesday.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Hello.- Hello, Leslie.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32- Hiya.- Tuesday.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Hello.- I'm Ian.- Hiya.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35- Pleased to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I don't know if we should shake hands, because then the...
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- OK. This is a no handshaking zone. - It is!- Let's just wave.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41I'm happy with that.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45We've been allowed to film in their house, on certain conditions.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46This is how it works.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- OK.- If you lift one foot up...
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- Yeah.- And put your foot in.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Yeah.- Then you can put it down.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- OK.- And then lift the other one up, I'll put the bag on,
0:06:54 > 0:07:00- then you can come in.- I have to excuse my muddy boot, there.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I was playing football with some kids the other day at my old school.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- So, apologies for that.- That's it, you can come in with that one now.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- I come in with this now? - Yeah, yeah. Lift this up.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10- Brilliant.- And then down.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Now, I haven't put the towels down yet,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20cos I don't know where we're sitting.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Sure.- But when we sit down, I'll have to cover the furniture.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24- That's fine, yeah.- So you can sit.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28How do you both feel now, with me covered in germs,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31how is that making you feel this very moment?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Well, I've got, like, butterflies,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36but anxious butterflies.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Yeah.- I can't wait for you to go!
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Thank you very much. I love you, too.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Despite their anxiety, they've allowed us to put up
0:07:45 > 0:07:49cameras in the house to show just how OCD affects them.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55But there's one or two more checks to do before today's interview.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56I do horrible things...
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Oh, my God.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00That was going to go down my jumper.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Both have been diagnosed with OCD.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06For Leslie, the condition means she is compelled
0:08:06 > 0:08:08to constantly clean her house.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10You're safe to sit down now.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Tell me how your day unravels.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16Well, I don't go to bed.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I sleep on the settee, for a start.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Because the obsessiveness is on my mind all the time,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26I don't relax enough to go to bed,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29because as soon as it's light,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I need to get up and start,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and I'm emotionally drained before I start,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36because I know what I've got to do.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- You know?- And start what, exactly?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Well, there's the hoovering, the dusting.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The dusting of the walls or cleaning a cupboard.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48No-one's been, but it's got to be done.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49And what about outside?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53I looked outside and I saw that even the paving stones and
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- the gravel look clean. Is that... - It's been bleached.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- What...?- The gravel's been bleached.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- You bleached the gravel? - I bleach the gravel, yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05When it's raining, I'll get the bleach, couple of bottles of bleach,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09squirt it all over the stones, and then go out with a big yard brush.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Brush them all up and they're all bubbly and frothy.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I've said this before, I've said you can eat off someone's floor,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17but I'm now saying you can even eat off your gravel.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18I know. I've hoovered the shed
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and "antibacterialled" inside the shed, as well.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23There's nothing in my shed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28For 27-year-old Tuesday, her OCD is different.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Some people who have OCD think, "If I don't do this,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33"then I might die or something bad's going to happen,"
0:09:33 > 0:09:34and I don't think that.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36I think that I'm dirty.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40So if somebody, say, were to tap me on the shoulder when I'm at work,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42then my shoulder's dirty,
0:09:42 > 0:09:43and then my arm's dirty
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and the whole top of me's dirty, and it escalates.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Where do I go? Left, right, straight ahead?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Tuesday is able to work and get out much more than her mother.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Straight ahead, yeah. Straight ahead, my room is.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But a trip to her bedroom shows the impact OCD has on her.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04OK, well the first thing I see is obviously your ordered clothes.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I mean, are they colour-coordinated, or...?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09So with the colour coordination, that doesn't bother me.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Mine is, I like sleeve order.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- Sleeve?- Sleeve order. Sleeve order. - That's a first.- So I've got, like,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17sort of my long sleeves and my hoods at the beginning.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Then I've got high necks and long-sleeved stuff.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Then we go onto shirts.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Then we go on to short sleeves, and then no sleeves,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26so it goes up gradually.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Makes sense to me.- Yeah.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- And your bed?- Yeah.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- Looks very well made. - Well, my bed doesn't get slept in.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34I don't sleep in it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Because my mum doesn't sleep in her bed,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38she sleeps for a few hours on the sofa downstairs,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I sleep in my mum's bed.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Because the sheets are so, so neat.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's so plump, I can't bear to get in it,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and even if I did get in it,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I wouldn't be comfortable because I would be making it a mess,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and I would be worried about the creases.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I wouldn't be able to, sort of, relax in my bed.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56So I don't do it. I just leave it.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I still change the sheets, I still do everything, but I also...
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Like with my clothes,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I hoover the top of the bed as well because of the dust,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05but I don't sleep in it. I haven't slept in my bed for
0:11:05 > 0:11:08well over a year, maybe two years,
0:11:08 > 0:11:09because I can't bear to crease it.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18So Leslie, can you explain what would happen if you didn't carry out
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- the compulsion?- It's like, there's a normal side of me saying,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24"Why are you doing it?"
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But the OCD bully MAKES you do it.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29You're compelled to do it,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and if I don't do it,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35my mind is so messed up.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40There's not a word or a thing or a colour to describe
0:11:40 > 0:11:43what your mind is doing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48To quell the OCD, you do it anyway,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and it doesn't matter how tired I am.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52It's like, polishing the sink.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I know it's clean, so why am I doing it?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Why can't I stop?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59But the OCD's like...
0:11:59 > 0:12:01It's doing it. It's doing it without...
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Sometimes, you're not focused because you're doing these things.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Both Tuesday and Leslie are on medication for their OCD.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21The NHS guidelines say for OCD,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24as well as drugs, there should be therapy.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27The recommended therapy is CBT -
0:12:27 > 0:12:29that's cognitive behavioural therapy.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I think the first thing to say is that CBT is evidence-based.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It's backed up by scientific research that it's effective,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and over the last ten, 20 years,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46we've begun to make inroads into OCD
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and we've got really effective treatment for OCD now.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51CBT is not a panacea,
0:12:51 > 0:12:57but the charity OCD UK estimates that 75% of people with OCD are
0:12:57 > 0:12:59significantly helped by cognitive behavioural therapy.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But it seems getting the right level of therapist is key.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06I think there are a lot of professionals going around
0:13:06 > 0:13:09claiming to do CBT who aren't really qualified to do it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Particularly in OCD, because I think, because I said it,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15it's the Lamborghini of mental health problems,
0:13:15 > 0:13:16that you have to be good.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18You want that little bit extra for OCD,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21a little bit extra experience - expertise and experience.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Six years ago, Keith was able to reduce Deon's 500 OCDs to
0:13:27 > 0:13:28just three or four.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Deon was paying Keith privately and didn't complete the
0:13:31 > 0:13:35treatment at the time, so he's called Keith again for help.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37I can straightaway see gaps.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Yeah, yeah.- Here. - Let's put them back.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And what sort of thing might you want to do now?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Tidy up this drawer.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49OK, I will get the spoon, put it in.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- I would then straighten these things.- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Like this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Make sure that they're all extremely straight.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I would then close the drawer.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01That doesn't feel right.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- Yeah.- At the moment, so I'm still holding the drawer.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06OK, can you let...let go of the drawer then.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Does it trigger a thought
0:14:09 > 0:14:11about anybody dying in a car crash or anything?
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Yes. It's not right at the moment.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15It makes me want to open it again.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Yeah, and do that again.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Again.- So stay with that thought now,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23that you're really uncomfortable about this thought about Dawn being
0:14:23 > 0:14:26in a car crash and being trapped in there,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29being injured, maybe dying, because you've not done that.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Does that make it more difficult?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It makes me think that the moment you leave, I'll do it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Yeah, yeah. Because you have to, to save her.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Yeah. Obviously, because I need...
0:14:40 > 0:14:42To get better with this.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- Yeah.- I'm going to try and, to not do it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49What I'm going to suggest is that this drawer doesn't get
0:14:49 > 0:14:52five and four, because we want to use this as an example,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55so that we can transfer it to other things in the house.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58If anything goes wrong now,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00now it's your fault.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02OK!
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I know we laugh about it, but it's...
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Painful.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Yeah, and when there's literally hundreds of them surrounding you
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and it's all around you, and occupies 20 hours a day.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Yeah. Yeah, but you think the world's pretty dangerous, don't you?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Just gets a bit much.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Yeah. Do you feel bad now?
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Yeah. Don't like it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Deon's on a waiting list for help from the NHS,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28but from past experience,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31he says he has little faith he'll get the level of help he needs.
0:15:31 > 0:15:37Even if you're lucky enough to find a CBT therapist on the NHS who is an
0:15:37 > 0:15:41accredited therapist, who has knowledge of CBT for OCD.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44If you're lucky enough, then
0:15:44 > 0:15:47you only get between six and eight sessions, which is useless.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It's utterly useless.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55Something you've had for 30, 35 years cannot be solved
0:15:55 > 0:15:56in such a short space of time.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Deon's health board said the average number of CBT sessions is 20
0:16:03 > 0:16:07and they're working hard to reduce waiting times.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10There we go.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13CBT is available for OCD on the NHS
0:16:13 > 0:16:18and I've come to Carmarthen to Hywel Dda Health Board to see the results.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I'm meeting therapist Amy and her patient, whose rituals
0:16:21 > 0:16:25to control his violent, intrusive thoughts just became too much.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28He didn't want to be identified.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I was up to over eight hours a day, doing the rituals,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34which, when trying to fit in a life,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36you know, it drives you to the edge.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I didn't want to go on any more.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43And I actually... I actually put a load of tablets out,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45ready to finish the pain.
0:16:47 > 0:16:53After a couple of interviews with various psychologists or therapists,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Amy was assigned to me and she saved my life.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59You really believe that?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Absolutely. 100%.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04John has actually got to the point
0:17:04 > 0:17:06where he's been able to return to work.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09John was spending eight hours doing these repetitions.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12We're now at the point where John is actually spending
0:17:12 > 0:17:14one hour of his day.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16For him, that's a huge, huge...
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Enormous.- Enormous improvement.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23In my opinion, it's vital and they need to give it resource,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26because it is saving lives.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It saved mine.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36It's great to hear that there is therapy out there on the NHS,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39helping those suffering with OCD,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42but not everyone has had a positive experience.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I've come to Cardiff to hear a story of frustration and heartache,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47as one family tried to get the right help
0:17:47 > 0:17:49for their teenage daughter Chloe.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Hi, Ian.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Chloe as a youngster was a bubbly, bright, you know,
0:17:55 > 0:17:56almost cheeky young girl.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59She was always smiley. She had a bit of a cheeky sense of humour.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Chloe was the one who was always kind of
0:18:02 > 0:18:04playing practical jokes, you know?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Having a bit of a giggle, laughter.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09You can see there.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You know, this is the Chloe we remember from childhood.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But by 13, Chloe had started to exhibit signs of her OCD.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21She started being really, really obsessed with her hair,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24clamped to the mirror, fiddling with her hair,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27but not in a vanity sort of way.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Chloe was given support by the child mental health services,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32but her OCD became so severe,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35she was admitted to hospital as an inpatient.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40In desperation, her parents asked the NHS for a second opinion.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43They say it took 18 months, but they did get it.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44Chloe was assessed again,
0:18:44 > 0:18:49this time by one of the UK's leading CBT specialists.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And immediately, he was able to engage her.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55He was able to question her in a way that she was able to answer,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and so after being here for about three hours,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01he took us into the other room and he said, "Yes, you know,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05"I do think I can treat her. I've seen worse."
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- For you, that must have been... - Yeah.- ..music to your ears.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10The health board doesn't have to
0:19:10 > 0:19:12necessarily follow specialist advice.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15They developed their own strategy for Chloe's OCD.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19As Chloe's condition was becoming more challenging,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22a tough decision had to be made.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26After consultation, it was agreed by everyone, including Chloe,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to try foster care.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31They had this thinking that by taking her somewhere else,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34it might give her a chance to kind of rebuild.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38So very, very hard decision, probably one of the hardest things
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I've ever done in my life was signing that paperwork,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but she went into voluntary foster care for a period.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It seems incredible to me that a young girl suffering from OCD
0:19:49 > 0:19:52should have to end up in hospital and foster care.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05In Bridgend, there's been a crisis.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Tuesday popped out to buy a takeaway coffee for her mother,
0:20:09 > 0:20:10and has spilled it in the car.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14This is horrible, horrible for you.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16It is. I've actually pulled the whole carpet up,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18so you can see the bottom, very bottom of my car.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I'm not sure how I'm going to get it clean enough for me to be satisfied,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25so it's worrying me a little bit.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Yeah.- I'm going to wipe it as much as I can now,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and then maybe I'm thinking once it's dry, I'm going to get the steam
0:20:30 > 0:20:34cleaner on it, antibacterial spray to get the smell of coffee out.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I'm not sure. My mind's going sort of...
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Yeah.- ..hundred miles an hour at the minute.- I can hear it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Thinking of... - I can hear it whirring.- Yeah!
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Hear it going over.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I'm thinking of things I can do to make me satisfied that the coffee's
0:20:46 > 0:20:49gone and that my car is clean again. It's really bothering me.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55Despite the smiles, the incident is obviously stressful for Tuesday.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Keeping her car and herself clear of germs must be a constant strain.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I notice that you're holding on to your wet wipe.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Yeah.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Is that with you much of the day, then? Is a wet wipe with you
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- much of the day? - It is, yeah. Yeah.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11A lot of the time, my right hand, because I have one
0:21:11 > 0:21:14in my hand constantly, my skin peels.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Sometimes my knuckles bleed as well.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- Tuesday, what do you hope for? - I did go to uni. I got a degree,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24and, you know, I've always planned on having a career and money,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and I've always wanted to travel the world.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29But that in itself is sort of a problem,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32because I couldn't imagine getting on a bus,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35let alone a sort of aeroplane and a train and things like that.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Let's talk a little bit about social life, fun, laughter.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- Yeah.- Boyfriends. I mean, do you have a boyfriend?
0:21:42 > 0:21:43I do have a boyfriend, yeah.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46How is he with you and your condition?
0:21:46 > 0:21:49He sees more of it than I've let anybody else know before,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52because I feel more comfortable with him and he doesn't sort of judge me,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55because I do kind of keep it to myself, because I'm embarrassed.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I don't want people to think, "That's weird," or "she's odd,"
0:21:58 > 0:22:00or "There's something wrong with her."
0:22:00 > 0:22:03But I mean, obviously one day in the future, I would, sort of, like to,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06sort of, live with him, and that kind of, sort of worries me.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13And I see this poor little girl here, my daughter, and it's so sad.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17She needs help.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Some good help.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27It's torture. They are being tortured by this condition.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29As we've seen, it's just no quality of life.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Just speaking to them now after we packed up, and I said,
0:22:32 > 0:22:33"What's your day now?"
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And they said, "Well, it's back to doing the cleaning."
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Tuesday will spend about four hours with the car
0:22:38 > 0:22:42and Leslie will get back to where she left off in the house.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46I find that quite upsetting.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Tuesday and Leslie have had some therapy in the past,
0:22:52 > 0:22:53but say it didn't work for them.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Could the correct level of therapy be the key to free them
0:22:57 > 0:22:59from their OCD bully?
0:23:00 > 0:23:01But here's the thing.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Wales has a shortage of accredited CBT therapists.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08In England, they have three times as many per head.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Well, people with mental health problems in Wales
0:23:12 > 0:23:14are being done a disservice.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18I think England has really worked hard to get the thing right.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It isn't perfect.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21Wales is just waking up now.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23They are just about now in some health boards,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25people are starting to say,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27"Oh, we need to get more psychotherapists".
0:23:27 > 0:23:31And it's just starting to seep into the culture that we must do that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Ten years ago in England,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37around £200 million was spent training more therapists.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41There are signs things are changing in Wales, too.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So, many of you will be working with people who have OCD.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48This course at Cardiff University is a step in the right direction,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50but it's the only one of its level in Wales.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54It'll take more courses like this to ensure the NHS have enough
0:23:54 > 0:23:56CBT therapists to meet the need.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Many sufferers like Deon pay for private treatment.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The temptation then, of course, is to finish early because of the cost,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and that can increase the chance of a relapse.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12OCD comes back with force so quickly.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14So quickly, you have no idea.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18It's like a plague. It just...takes over you.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23This time, Deon is telling me he wants to go for it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26He wants to do 100% and wants to kick it into touch.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Trying again. New fresh time again now,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and let's get completely free this time.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Let's hope. With a lot of hard work.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37And cost, unfortunately.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Because as I say, there is little help on the NHS for this.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Believe me, I've tried.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48What Deon would like would be for the NHS to pay for Keith.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51But there are no health boards in Wales currently using
0:24:51 > 0:24:53private practitioners for OCD.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And what about Chloe Boorman?
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Her foster care didn't work out, and she returned home.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03This January, she was admitted to hospital again.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10If only somebody could have seen her at the right level,
0:25:10 > 0:25:11right at the beginning,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14who knew what they were talking about and knew what they could do,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17I reckon she could have been saved a lot of her suffering.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23She could end up relying on the NHS for another 50 years.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26I'm sure that's going to cost far, far more.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31It's so cruel.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33The illness is so cruel.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36What gets me is it's been five years.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Five years of real suffering
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and it's so frustrating
0:25:41 > 0:25:43because there is treatment out there for them
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and they just haven't had it and that was heartbreaking.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50It's just, it's so cruel to listen to that.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Chloe's health board can't comment on individual cases,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04but do recognise there is a need to increase CBT provision,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and say they have a robust investment programme
0:26:07 > 0:26:09to improve access to these treatments.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15The Welsh government said that they'd spent £3 million
0:26:15 > 0:26:18on therapies like CBT over the last couple of years.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22But while there is progress, there is more for health boards to do.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So is the political mood changing in Wales?
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I've come along to speak to
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Plaid Cymru's health spokesman, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Yeah, it's not words that we need, really, is it? It's action.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38I think it's positive that people are talking about mental health now,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42as being something that is recognised as an area of health care
0:26:42 > 0:26:45in Wales that absolutely needs changing,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47but we've got to make the investment.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Unless we have the therapists,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51we can't give the therapy,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55and without the therapy, people with OCD and other mental health
0:26:55 > 0:26:57conditions are not going to be
0:26:57 > 0:27:01able to get the help that I think, and you think, that they should.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Things are changing and that's really good to hear,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but I still feel there's a lack of understanding,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and my concerns are for those people consumed by OCD today.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17People think I'm a nice lady, I'm always happy and chatty, don't they?
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Old people always like me, but they don't see the torment inside.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27It's lonely, and that's why I would love my daughter to get help.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I see her friends...
0:27:32 > 0:27:35..who have gone off to university.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I see them carrying on with their lives.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Most days, I will think about what Chloe has lost.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51It's going to be tough, but you've got to start somewhere.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56And I cannot carry on living with this any longer.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I've had enough. Just enough.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01So...
0:28:10 > 0:28:13You know, I've met some wonderful people on my journey around Wales.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And I've heard some truly heartbreaking stories,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and some of the struggles I recognise myself,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23but I can't help feeling that there are too many people being let down.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29If somebody with OCD is brave enough to knock on the door
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and ask for help,
0:28:31 > 0:28:32it's got to be there.