Let’s Talk About OCD!

Living with OCD can be really scary. The best way to support someone who struggles with OCD is to learn more about it and better understand how it is to deal with. So, let’s talk about it!

OCD is NOT about “just being organized”. 

Having OCD is often misunderstood as just being clean or organized. It’s important to remember that being clean and tidy is part of having good habits and living a healthy lifestyle. OCD is an anxiety disorder involving obsessions and compulsions. Here are some examples of what it might look like compared to someone who doesn’t have OCD. 

“I make my bed every morning because it helps me be more productive throughout the day, and I enjoy coming home to a tidy room.” 

“I spend hours making my bed each morning by repeatedly perfecting it because if I don’t, I feel like something bad is going to happen.”

The first sentence would be an example of a good habit. This doesn’t mean that this person doesn’t have OCD, because everyone with OCD experiences different obsessions and compulsions (otherwise referred to as “themes”), it just means that this would not be an example or symptom of OCD. The second example, however, is an excellent representation of what it might look like to have OCD. But not everyone who has OCD deals with it in this way. Which leads into our next section…

“Pure-O”

Many people deal with something often referred to as “pure-O” OCD. This subject is spoken about much less often, but it’s every bit as important to know about. Pure-O can be invisible to other people. It’s when somebody deals with mental/internal obsessions/compulsions rather than physical/external (although both can be present). For many people, their brains will obsess over a specific thought or situation. It could be an intrusive thought, something that happened at work, or maybe a dream or memory that isn’t quite clear. This can look like extensive ruminating, playing the thought over and over again in your mind to scan or analyze for accuracy, hidden meanings, etc.

Again, this is different for everybody, but it’s just as much distressing. 

I don’t know everything about OCD, and there is so much more I could say about it here. I just want to spread awareness so that more people are able to understand and better support their loved ones who may struggle with OCD. It is a debilitating disorder full of anxiety, stress, and FEAR. If you’re not sure how to help someone with OCD, it’s okay to ask them how you can help. Do research and learn how to best support them. 

If you have any comments, concerns, questions, or feedback, don’t be afraid to comment here or message me privately. I’m open to constructive criticism and I love mind-opening conversations.