Do you consider anxiety and/or OCD a disability?

[blueeyedfairy]

I’ve had problems with anxiety since I was a child under CAMHS. This then became OCD too, with the anxiety feeding off of this.

I am mostly able to function normally, adjusting things in my life to do so, but there have been times I’ve broken down before accessing help again as I’ve let things just become too much. This started with being out of school for a year, and then again every few years. I always end up back on antidepressants.

The worst things for me are the physical symptoms that arise because of it, and no amount of talking therapy helps with this. The headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, stomach/bowel problems, the lack of sleep.

I work from home most of the time which means I can manage my symptoms better, but days I have to go out can be hard. I worry about getting the headaches, not sleeping the night before (which makes me not sleep!) or urgently needing the toilet (when I’m anxious it gives me bowel issues). I know some people will think I should just ‘think differently’ but it’s hard.

I feel ashamed and I may need to tell my employer but I’m worried I will sound like I’m making excuses. I’ve had reasonable adjustments before (mainly at university) because of this and I felt awkward about it then.

Hi op
im not sure it comes under disability as it’s something that hopefully can be managed. I’m suffering with the same thing, so solidarity!

I believe the legal definition in the UK is an illness which impacts your daily life significantly for at least a year (not sure on specific wording). So you would likely fit that criteria from what you describe.

I have bipolar. I do everything possible to keep well. No amount of thinking differently would sort the neurotransmission disfunction that goes on in my brain. I get a load of negative thoughts when a depressive episode hits that medication simply stops from happening .i couldn’t get out of the depressive episode without medication, A lot of people with bipolar have circadian rhythm issues so sleep a big issue. Sedation doesn’t work for me - even strong sleeping tablets don’t make me sleepy. Melatonin does. I still have to have good sleep habits and not think about anything that stresses me out just before bed but the melatonin helps make sleep possible again.

I know I’m talking about a different condition to yours but I thought it might help if I said: your post made me wonder if you were trying to outthink a problem that requires medication.

Your feelings are valid anxiety and OCD can cause real physical symptoms like headaches, nausea and sleep problems.
Telling your employer isn’t an excuse; it’s asking for support.
You shouldn’t feel ashamed for needing help.

No i wouldn't. Everybody suffers from it to varying degrees throughout their lives and it seems you've already discovered ways to minimise the symptoms. You need to stick with it. Some people will need to be on antidepressants for life and there's no shame in that.

I'm speaking as someone who suffers similar problems.

Yes, I would. You are currently functioning because you have made adjustments to your daily life which may not be available in the future. If you couldn't fulfil your work contract if you had to go into the office, or you would need significant time off, then all you have done is informally taken reasonable adjustments. For your protection, you need to tell your employer so that if they suddenly decide that all workers need to be in the office, they already know that this would be detrimental to you.

Well done for all the hard work you've done to minimise the impact of this on your life. It must be very tiring.

Of course it is. Anything that is long term, utterly miserable to cope with and disables your life surely classes as a disability. I have diagnosed depression and anxiety and my life is so limited and unpleasant. No amount of medication (so far) or talking therapies or CBT (so far) has worked. People get confused between sadness and depression, and being nervous and anxiety.

Yes. I suppose it depends on the extent of the symptoms, but a family member has OCD and it is utterly debilitating for them.

Not automatically, but certainly if symptoms of either were severe enough to meet the definition.

Well it definitely isn't an asset to your life so I'd say it disables it. For the record I don't have it but only 'normal' anxiety like before the dentist or interviews etc. But I've met many people who do through my work and relatives. Have you tried medication for symptom control as well as Anti anxylitic medication, eg propananlol reduces the racing heart, buscapan or immodium for the IBS symptoms, anti sickness medication. Just having them as backup might help you feel better when you need to go out.

Work should be told as usually a disability gives you more leeway with sickness monitoring. 💐

It depends how much it affects you.

I completely agree

I disagree that everyone suffers with it. Everyone gets nervous, yes. But long term, debilitating anxiety? I have lived my whole adult life with constant stomach ache, nausea, headaches, dizziness etc from anxiety. I'm not worried about anything, my body just lives in a permanent fight or flight state.

I agree. I've never had ocd so don't think everyone suffers with that either.

Yes I work with people with people with disabilities including the conditions you mentioned. They are referred to as non visible disabilities.

Debilitating, yes. Classed as disability -not sure. My colleague's adult DC has debilitating OCD and has not been able to leave their home for close to 5 years, and lives a life entirely dominated by ritual and compulsion with no time for anything else. It is the most tragic thing I have witnessed. DColleague has supported them with claiming DLA initially, and more recently PiP, so technically, at the very least disability-adjacent.

What was the initial cause of the anxiety when you were a child?

No I wouldn't. Unless it was so bad the person was not able to do things such as leave the house.

I would think that OCD often meets the criteria to count as a disability. It can be very disabling. With anxiety, I would think it depends how bad it is. For example if it is bad enough to need treatment from a psychiatrist, then it more likely to be a disability.

A few things. I was badly bullied which made me anxious to go to school or go out anywhere. That’s when I had to go to CAMHS. But there’s also the fact my mother has terrible OCD and anxiety (she is now so bad she doesn’t leave the house), so I think this rubbed off on me a bit. I remember her having panic attacks and asking me (as a young child) for reassurance and to check things even after she had obsessively checked them. I really felt her panic as her worry made me panic, though when I was very young I didn’t understand it.

I also don't agree that everyone suffers with this at some point in their lives. I think there's a tendency to associate the negative feelings which arise from sad or stressful situations with anxiety/depression, but they are just the normal reactions which we are supposed to feel in order to process life events.. When a person experiences anxiety or depression which is so severe they cannot think or sleep or function in the workplace, it has become a disability.

i know someone with fantasy OCD, they continue to work but they are very ill, they mask at work, took a long time for them to share their illness with their employer - I’m convinced their employer knew, I’m sure the mask must have slipped. I don’t know what the definition of a disability is but their life is significantly affected by it - they are under the care of an NHS psychiatrist.

No. Anxiety is not a disability

Anxiety isn't but Anxiety disorder absolutely can be. I have bipolar, bpd and Anxiety disorder and my anxiety disorder has been the most debilitating it caused agoraphobia for 2 years and panic disorder.

I used to declare myself as "not registered disabled" when I had an illness which impacted my daily life significantly for at least a year. tbh, it still affects my life now, 20+ yrs later, but a lot less so I stopped ticking that box a long time ago.

I never asked my employer for any adjustments bcz I could manage without.
What adjustments do you want from your employer, OP?

No anxiety isn’t a disability. If that was the case most of the country would be disabled. Time people get a bit of a grip regarding this sort of thing.