Mother Advocates for OCD Treatment After Son’s Tragic Death
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Liam Arthur, pictured with his mother Michelle in Amsterdam in 2016, struggled with severe OCD. Michelle is now calling for more support.
Michelle Arthur is now a vocal advocate for improved access to specialist inpatient treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. Her advocacy follows the tragic death of her son, Liam, who battled severe OCD symptoms. Liam,a talented gymnast who excelled in championships during his teens and possessed a deep love for nature,passed away,and Michelle believes that appropriate specialist inpatient treatment coudl have saved his life.
Michelle’s garden, adorned with placards bearing Liam’s name beneath his favorite hawthorn tree, serves as a living tribute. she remembers Liam’s passion for plants, noting, He definitely had green fingers, and his aspiration to transform their garden into a flourishing orchard. This personal connection fuels her determination to prevent similar tragedies.
The urgency of Michelle’s plea stems from her conviction that current treatment criteria exclude the most vulnerable individuals suffering from OCD. the criteria that’s set excludes the most vulnerable and disabled patients that are crippled by their OCD, she asserts. They’re the ones that need the help the most but they’re the ones that fall through the net. This highlights a critical gap in the current mental health care system.
Liam chose almost all the plants in his family’s garden, which now features a placard in his memory.
Liam’s struggles began after the loss of his grandfather,leading him to withdraw from university and return home to Sutton,South London,in March 2017. Michelle noticed subtle shifts in his behavior, such as an increased frequency in hoovering and rearranging items during shopping trips. These seemingly minor changes were early indicators of the escalating condition.
the severity of Liam’s condition became starkly apparent when Michelle discovered him washing his hands with diluted bleach. He also became increasingly isolated, avoiding friends and engaging in restrictive eating patterns, sometimes abstaining from food for four or five days consecutively. This isolation and the extreme measures he took underscore the debilitating nature of his OCD.
Michelle recounted Liam’s distressing confession: He confessed to me that he felt he was infected and he had to carry out certain rituals and if he didn’t carry out the rituals, his family would die or he would die. This quote vividly illustrates the torment and fear that drove Liam’s compulsive behaviors.
In September 2018, Liam received a formal diagnosis of OCD, marking the beginning of a challenging journey to manage his condition. This diagnosis was a crucial step, but it also highlighted the long road ahead.
Liam returned home from university due to mental health struggles.
Understanding OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a prevalent mental health condition affecting approximately 2% of the UK population, equating to about 1.3 million individuals. Characterized by obsessive, intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, OCD can substantially impact daily life. The condition is more than just a quirk; it’s a serious disorder that can disrupt every aspect of a person’s existence.
Dr. amita Jassi, a consultant clinical psychologist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, emphasizes that OCD extends beyond common misconceptions of contamination and cleaning. she explains that it can manifest in various obsessions, including those related to religious or cultural customs. This broader understanding is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Dr. Amita Jassi highlights the spectrum of OCD symptoms.
Dr. Jassi addresses the casual use of the term OCD, stating, When people say ‘I’m a little bit OCD’, that presses my buttons a bit, emphasizing that the condition is classified as a disorder due to its distressing and interfering quality. This distinction is critically important to recognize the severity and impact of true OCD.
While stressing that OCD is very treatable, Dr. Jassi acknowledges the spectrum of severity. Many individuals manage daily life despite some struggles, but sadly, sometimes it can be really devastating, she notes, adding that many young people under her care are housebound due to severe contamination worries or time-consuming rituals. This range of experiences underscores the need for individualized treatment plans.
Family’s Plea After Son’s Death Highlights OCD Treatment Gaps
Liam began cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP) in July 2021, a common treatment for OCD. Despite initial improvements, Liam struggled to consistently engage with the treatment, and his condition deteriorated. His mother, Michelle, sought specialist inpatient treatment for him, but he was deemed ineligible for funding from NHS England. This highlights the systemic barriers to accessing appropriate care.
After starting therapy, Liam was able to cuddle his dog Cooper again.
Liam’s story underscores the challenges faced by individuals with severe OCD and their families in accessing appropriate and timely mental health care. The talking therapy he underwent aimed to gradually expose him to the triggers for his compulsions and help him change his reactions. Michelle recalls a moment of hope: I wasn’t able to cuddle my son or kiss him as he feared contamination and after one of the sessions I was able to give him a cuddle and it was fantastic. Though, this progress proved difficult to sustain, illustrating the complex nature of OCD treatment.
Michelle recounts the difficulties Liam faced in adhering to his treatment plan. He slowly went downhill as he found it quite hard, she says,noting that he sometimes missed appointments due to spending most of the night washing his hands and clothes.This highlights the debilitating nature of severe OCD and the critically important impact it can have on a person’s daily life, making it challenging to engage with treatment. The very symptoms of the disorder can become barriers to receiving help.
Michelle is calling for more support for those with severe OCD.
Liam’s compulsions extended to restricting his intake, making it difficult for him to take his medication regularly due to fears of contamination. This led to rapid weight loss as he endured repeated cycles without food and water, according to Michelle. Despite his therapist’s proposal, Liam’s application for specialist inpatient treatment was denied because he did not meet the funding criteria set by NHS England. This denial underscores the rigid and frequently enough inadequate nature of current funding guidelines.
The denial was based on guidelines from the national Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which advocate for a stepped care system. This system dictates that more intensive care should only be offered after initial treatments prove ineffective. Liam had only completed one trial of CBT with ERP and tried one type of SSRI (a type of antidepressant). Michelle was informed that even if Liam were eligible, the waiting list was significant. This highlights the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health care.
Liam tried to get referred for inpatient treatment – but was told he didn’t meet criteria.
In June 2022, Liam attended his last therapy session, during which he expressed suicidal feelings, which was not the frist time.Michelle recounts, I think the next appointment he failed to keep, because Liam had been up all night washing his hands or showering and they decided to discharge him from the service. Tragically, less than a year later, Liam died by suicide. This devastating outcome underscores the urgent need for more responsive and extensive mental health services.
Following Liam’s death, a spokesperson for South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, the association responsible for his care, stated: Our thoughts are with Liam’s mother, family and loved ones at this very distressing time. The spokesperson added, We have completed a thorough examination and will be working closely with the coroner in the lead-up to the inquest. We remain available to the family as a source of support. While these statements offer condolences, they also highlight the need for systemic change to prevent future tragedies.
Liam’s story highlights the critical need for increased awareness and improved access to specialized treatment for individuals with severe OCD. The current system, with its strict criteria and lengthy waiting lists, can leave vulnerable individuals without the support they desperately need. Michelle Arthur’s advocacy is a powerful call to action to address these systemic failures.
