Dear Person Who is "So Ocd"

Understanding OCD: More Than Just Being "So OCD"

How’s it going, being “so OCD”? I bet you’re feeling all “cool” and “different.” I also bet you’re unaware of what it means yourself, despite claiming to be “so OCD.” To be clear, it’s the acronym for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; a mental illness that I suffer from and which is often accompanied by anxiety, depression, and Tourette’s syndrome. Not a week goes by when I don’t hear the phrase “I’m so OCD” being used in casual conversation just to describe a behavior that is mildly perfectionistic. So I thought I’d shed some light on what it actually feels like to suffer from this, and you can tell me whether you still want to be “so OCD.” To begin with, OCD is not just about having a clean room or a tidy study table. It’s an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and ritualized, repetitive behaviors one feels compelled to perform (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

The Hidden Struggles of Living with OCD

Any of the actions I do, I tend to do in secret to avoid being noticed. In fact, I never spoke about my OCD until 12th grade when a friend noticed me do something “weird.” Everyone found it intriguing that I had to maintain perfect symmetry in anything I do or come across, and to this day, they casually hit me on one side because “it’s so cool” to see me hit myself on the other. I let them have their laugh and wait patiently, despite wanting to rip their heads off. The extent to which this was trivialized made me think I was just overreacting and should stop thinking about it. In fact, it took me roughly over five years to consider seeking treatment. This delay is common among OCD sufferers due to societal stigma and lack of understanding (Abramowitz, 2006).

The Daily Reality of OCD

You see, OCD is the reason I spend two hours having a shower until my skin becomes raw. It’s the reason I sometimes have to stay away from my niece and nephew (the two little humans I absolutely adore) because of my extremely obsessive thoughts. It’s the reason I’m seen covering my face with my shawl most of the time. It’s the reason I roll my eyes sometimes to the point it hurts, just to “set it right.” It’s the reason I tend to isolate myself from social gatherings. It’s the reason I wake up at 2 in the morning to check whether my room is locked. While these may seem irrational and not severe, these are thoughts I can’t escape regardless of the efforts I put into stopping them. The compulsions often arise from a deep-seated need to alleviate anxiety, which can be overwhelming and all-consuming (Foa & Kozak, 1995).

The Impact of Casual Language on Mental Health Perception

I hope you see now where I am going with this. OCD is not strictly a disorder of organization, and when you diminish our illness as a way to look different or interesting, you perpetuate the stigma that OCD is something lighthearted and funny. And my friend, that’s not “cool” at all. I know you don’t have any harsh intentions when you say phrases such as “I’m so OCD,” but they contribute to the trivialization of mental disorders. So, the next time you decide to use the language of mental health to describe common, often insignificant situations, keep in mind that by using and accepting these phrases in everyday language, you’re trivializing the seriousness of mental health conditions. By making a joke of mental health, you’re fueling the stigma surrounding it and creating barriers that discourage people like me from seeking treatment (Corrigan, 2004).

A Call for Awareness and Sensitivity

So my friend, I urge you to be aware of how your casual words can seriously dwarf the severity of someone’s real struggle, and I urge you to contribute to creating a safer environment for those struggling by being attentive to what you say and the words you use. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a serious mental illness, and to be honest, I’m fed up with how trivialized the disorder is seen in mainstream culture. OCD is as debilitating as any other mental illness. It’s not cute or funny, like Monica Geller from Friends or Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory may have made it seem. It's time to recognize the impact of our words and actions and work towards a more empathetic society.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
• Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). The psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(7), 407-416.
• Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1995). DSM-IV field trial: Obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(1), 90-96.
• Corrigan, P. W. (2004). How stigma interferes with mental health care. American Psychologist, 59(7), 614-625.