Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, commonly known as OCD, can be such a challenging diagnosis. I’ve talked about my personal experience about OCD here. Part of what makes it so challenging is that there are so many misconceptions about what OCD really is. Because of this, I’ve decided to put together my list of the 6 things about OCD that I wish people realized.
1. ‘OCD’ is not a descriptive phrase.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental health disorder affecting all walks of life – about 1 in 100. The disorder is not binary and can better be examined from a spectrum perspective. This is because this intrusive disorder affects each person who has it so uniquely. It also is because it is dependant on where and how each person is with their unique treatment. So when someone says, “I’m so OCD” – as though they are describing themselves – not only do they sound ignorant, they also stand a very good chance of hurting someone’s feelings.
2. Not all OCD sufferers are clean freaks.
I just can’t handle this stereotype anymore. It’s so far from the truth! I know absolute slobs with debilitating OCD! Why? Because there are so many types of OCD out there.
To make it make more sense let’s break it down a bit – the ‘O’ in OCD stands for ‘Obsessive’. The obsessions can range from religious OCD, unwanted sexual thoughts, perfectionism, losing control, harm, contamination, and even more – fear of DIRT is just ONE type of obsession that is out there. The ‘C’ in OCD stands for ‘Compulsive’. When the sufferer has an uncomfortable obsession, they perform a compulsion – the ‘C’ – as an answer, almost, to the ‘O’.
It’s a vicious cycle, making up the OCD disorder. A common misconception is that OCD is hand-washing and cleaning. Well, those are compulsions for some people, and they are common ones. But they are FAR from the only compulsive responses to the OCD sufferer’s obsessions. Many have compulsive praying, checking, repeating, confessing, reading and rereading, counting, mental reviewing, and much, much more.
3. It’s not because we are just emotional.
OCD is serious business. We know the stuff that is going through our head makes no sense – we really do. And we know the rituals are ridiculous. We aren’t doing this because we are emotional basket cases. In fact, if we are still fighting this bastard, chances are we are some of the toughest people you might ever meet.
Let me make up an example. Imagine you’re a new dad. There is nothing more in this world you love more than being a new dad. There is nothing you wouldn’t do for your baby. But something – namely the bully “OCD” tells you that you must pull in your driveway no later than 5:57PM from work every day or your baby will suffer from a terminal illness by the time he is ten. Where did that thought come from? It makes absolutely NO sense! NONE! There is no logic to it! But, should you chance it? So, when your boss asks you to stay late one Thursday for a big project and you don’t…and you put your job at risk, are you nuts? Or are you protecting your baby? What if you get in a traffic jam on the way home?
This is ONE example of ONE type of OCD that a sufferer COULD be fighting at any time. People with severe OCD are fighting OCD thoughts and rituals throughout their days…it’s EXHAUSTING. Yeah, I don’t think they are emotional. I think they are tough and I think they are doing all they can to survive.
4. It’s embarrassing for some of us.
It shouldn’t be, but it can be. And with society now using it as a catch-phase and retailers making quick bucks by putting it on t-shirts, it feels like a big joke.
I’ve made jokes, at my own expense, to make my ‘requests’ seem more amenable. Making fun of myself is my own defense mechanism because I KNOW that I’ve put so many people ‘out’ by my obsessions and all my many flavors of OCD. I’ve always worried that I’ve been a burden in this way, so joking about it has been my defense.
But it’s still embarrassing for some of us. Even though I have poked fun at myself, I wouldn’t do it to someone else. And I don’t like it when someone does it to me.
5. There are related conditions to be aware of with OCD.
It doesn’t mean you or your loved one has them all, but it’s good to know. They can overlap and mix and sometimes one can be misdiagnosed for the other. Some of those conditions include hoarding, body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders, PANDAS, Tourette Syndrome, other tic disorders, and ADHD. So, seek treatment – good, solid, qualified treatment – if you or someone you love could be suffering. Proper diagnosis is so important and the first step in getting better. This is a good place to start.
6. There is light at the other side of the tunnel.
I honestly didn’t know what it was like to live a life without OCD thoughts taking over my mind. I didn’t know any other way. It was just what I knew. Can you imagine what it was like for me when some of that started to get moved out of my head? Do you know the stuff I started to have time for? Do you know the joy I started to experience? No, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it was a straight line and that a miracle was performed overnight. Nothing like that happened for me. Not at all.
But I am going to tell you this:
I was diagnosed with extremely severe OCD. And it has taken me a long time to seek treatment. When I finally got serious about treatment, it took time to begin to feel better. TIME. I am not healed. But I am better. There is room in my life for living better. I never knew I could live like this.
And if I could – if someone like me (who cried hysterically at the very sight of a tiny hole in a garbage bag) could get better – others can, too.
