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OCD, NOT AN ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE YOUR CLEANLINESS.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects up to 2.3% of the population. Individuals diagnosed with OCD experience unwanted recurrent thoughts, urges, images or impulses that cause marked anxiety or distress. In an effort to reduce anxiety or distress, individuals engage in behaviors called compulsions or rituals such as hand washing, ordering, checking etc. or mental acts like praying, counting, repeating words silently etc. However, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive. Additionally often overlooked in conceptualizing OCD are the physical sensations. These physical sensations are uncomfortable and fear inducing, but they don’t resemble the intrusive thoughts that most persons focus on when they have OCD. Generally, these sensations give false signals that the person perceives as being important and because they are physical sensations, the person generally assigns tremendous importance and validity to these sensations, because they “feel” them. There is usually an accompanying obsession that is disturbing, but the patient may be unaware of it.

" I was diagnosed with OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder) when I consulted a psychiatrist for the headaches I had developed. No I didn't go to him first, he was the last person I went to. When I was first told I had OCPD I wasn't like oh now it makes sense why I'm like this or why I do this, because I didn't find what I do different or abnormal. I remember I used to pack my bag every night before school with my note books in front of my text books arranged according to the periods. Each item would have a specific location. Now don't get me wrong. My obsession isn't limited to things, I became obsessed with kids, friends and family members. I think about them for days, it feels like an endless train of thoughts. I think about them until I reach a point where I cant think about them anymore. Now that point could come after a few days, months or years. For this blog, I was asked about my daily routine living with OCPD but to me my routine is as normal as yours is to you. The only difference the diagnosis brought to me was that it made me conscious about the things I do. The way I see it, we all differ from each other in different ways. Some with OCPD may relate with me and some may not " -Anonymous interviewee

It is so important to note that people shouldn't say "I'm so OCD" when what people mean is "I'm meticulous" , "I'm so organized", "I have strict cleaning rules", " I'm very neat" or "I'm a perfectionist" because none of those words are synonyms for OCD. When people say they have OCD, what they mean is "I have a chronic mental illness", "My intense fear keeps me from living as I would like to", "I get intrusive thoughts that I can't just brush off" or "I engage in compulsive behaviors that, when visible, looks very strange to others". OCD is a debilitating mental illness. Therefore before saying "I'm so OCD" consider the impact these words can have on people struggling with this every day. Before saying "I'm so OCD" consider how these words contribute to the misconceptions around this mental illness making it harder for them realize that they need treatment or reach out for help.

Visit the international OCD foundation at https://iocdf.org/ to know more on this topic, make donations and seek help.

You can also check out a powerful poem on living with OCD by Neil Hilborn at https://youtu.be/vnKZ4pdSU-s

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By Ayshka Najib

Content writer at But Society Says