While itās not something I bandy about 24/7, this past year Iāve been much more open about my OCD. However, one thing Iāve noticed is that despite being honest about my mental illness, thereās still some heavy stigma around it, along with those clichĆ© responses that we all know and love. So, in the spirit of clearing up a few myths, Iāve put together a list of things that I wish people knew about OCD. Of course, these are just my opinions, but I hope that fellow sufferers can relate and that if you have a loved one with the condition that you find this useful.
You can find out more about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by visiting the OCD-UK website.Ā
Itās Not Just About Cleaning
This is a tricky one for me, because my OCD actually does focus mainly around cleaning and contamination. However, it goes much deeper than that. I suffer with major health anxiety, which is incredibly distressing at times and means that Iām a huge hypochondriac. I also spend a great deal of time repeatedly checking things. Is the front door locked? Is the oven off? Did I blow that candle out? Did I turn the taps off? Itās a constant stream of thought that rarely quietens. Another thing I struggle with is the safety of others and the worry that Iāll bring harm to people. The main issue being when Iām driving. There was a time when I couldnāt drive past a child or a cyclist without worrying that Iād hit them. Of course, deep down I knew that I hadnāt, but it still wouldnāt stop me from turning around to check.
Saying āIām a Bit OCDā is Plain Offensive
This was never something that particularly bothered me until I got my diagnosis. Over recent years, itās been a pet peeve of mine thatās started to bug me more and more. The notion that OCD is an adjective or a personality trait just fills me with rage. Itās not quirky, itās not cute, itās a debilitating mental illness. It’s a goddamn bully. Unless itās had you sobbing at your mother to make it stop, itās not OCD. The same goes for merch too. Iām done with those tees and mugs that say āOCD – Obsessive Christmas Disorderā or “Obsessive Cat Disorder” and so on. I’m a cat lover, but jeez, that takes things too far. Donāt get me wrong, I can take a joke. Everyone who knows me knows that I have a sick and often quite dark sense of humour, and I appreciate a good bit of banter, but thereās a line.
I Canāt Just āLet it Goā or āForget About Itā
I appreciate that sometimes when someone says this to me, they mean well. But itās one of the most unhelpful things that you can say. For someone with OCD, letting something go is not an option. Letās face it, for a lot of us, if we could just let stuff go, we wouldnāt have OCD in the first place. If it was that easy to snap out of an episode, of course, we would.Ā
Asking āDoes Your OCD Make You [Do This]?ā is Also Hella Offensive
Look, Iāll get one thing straight. Iām more than happy to answer questions about my OCD. Iām happy to tell you about how it affects me and the reasoning behind the weird rituals and behaviours I do. I have no problem with that. However, when people make assumptions based on stuff theyāve seen on TV or in movies, or just based on the common misconceptions around the disorder, thatās when we have a problem. A little advice: donāt ask leading or closed questions. Rather than ādoes, your OCD make you [do this]?ā ask āwhat sort of things does your OCD make you struggle with?ā Asking open questions is one way to learn more about how the disorder affects a particular person, and chances are itāll bust some of those myths too.Ā
Saying āI Like Things Clean Tooā is Not a Way of Relating To Me
I get it. Saying āI like things cleanā or āI like things organised tooā is an attempt to relate and make me feel better. Unfortunately, though, it just reinforces those god-awful stereotypes. If youāve got this far in this post youāll be aware that OCD isnāt just about cleaning and organisation. The best thing to do? Donāt try to relate. Just listen.
To read more about my personal experience of OCD, I have a whole section dedicated to my mental health and recovery on my blog, which you can check out here.Ā
