I know the title is cheesy, but I think you all know by now, that I am an unapologetic cheesy person. I’ve wanted to do a post about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), for quite some time. Only because, if anybody sees someone who is very uptight about cleanliness, there are jokes on how OCD the person is. I don’t have OCD, and I find that offensive. Okay, okay, okay… I will admit I have made those jokes in the past a few times. But that was before I really got involve with mental health when I was 20 yrs old. Hopefully, this entry will clear up many misconceptions about this disorder. So let’s hip hop hooray our way to the OCD jamboree! (Yes, cornier Naughty By Nature jokes)
But first… **breaks out into MC Hammer pants** knowledge time! What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? We know it’s a compulsion, but a compulsion about what exactly? We think it’s all about cleanliness. But is that the complete definition? Not entirely. Everybody experience unpleasant thoughts. Just most people know how to move on from them. People with OCD have them “stuck” in their brains. They’re like the brain’s junk email. Most people have a spam filter and can simply ignore incoming junk mail. But having OCD is like having a spam filter that has stopped working – the junk mail just keeps coming, and it won’t stop. Soon, the amount of junk mail exceeds the important mail, and the person with OCD becomes overwhelmed.
What causes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Researchers don’t really have a definitive answer. They are many different theories. Some of them being about genetics and the way human serotonin are transported. But again, nothing that has solves this riddle. All in all, it is usually a combination of neurobiological, genetic, behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors that trigger the disorder in a specific individual at a particular point in time.
Compulsions are actually learned responses that help an individual reduce or prevent anxiety or discomfort associated with obsessions or urges. An individual who experiences an intrusive obsession regarding germs, for example, may engage in hand washing to reduce the anxiety triggered by the obsession. Hand washing ritual temporarily reduces the anxiety, the probability that the individual will engage in hand washing when a contamination fear occurs in the future is increased. As a result, compulsive behavior not only persists but actually becomes excessive.
So how many people have this disorder? According to Beyond OCD, 1 in every 40 adults (5 million Americans) and 1 in every 100 children has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Also, according to the World Health Organization, OCD is one of the top 20 causes of illness-related disability. They are higher rates of women who have OCD than men.
Besides all the statistics, what is the personal feeling of having this disorder? I really can’t say since I do not have it, but I do have OCPD, which it’s almost like its sister. I will discuss about OCPD in a later entry. But imagine feeling a swarm of anxious, overwhelming emotions as you think about the most traumatic experience in your life, because something has triggered it. You feel hopeless and out of control. You hate this feeling. You need an immediate quick fix to get over this intense feeling. So flipping the light switch 5 times, washing your hands 7 times, or counting the ceiling tiles brings relief. You know in your head that it’s silly, but it brings so much comfort, that you do it. You can’t even help it! It’s like that unbearable itch that you need to scratch. You know it would make the situation worse, but you just need to scratch it for the temporary relief. Does that make any sense?
If any of you have OCD, please share your feelings on the comment below and describe your experience to the best of your abilities. I’m not sure if my description has done any of you any justice. I’m sure it’s worse than what I’m putting into words. Again, although I have OCPD, I don’t want anybody get confuse my experience compare to your experience. I love when people comment. So please participate.
Well, that’s my entry in regards to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If I left out anything or you have more questions, please comment below or CONTACT ME. It’s always tough having mental illness and trying to navigate in the world that misinterprets your illness. But with help of a therapist, support system, meds, and of course self-care, you can do it. You just have to adult one day at time. xoxo
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Only Michy 
I dont have OCD either, but I do know people who do. Its a very debilitating disorder. Thank you for shedding some light on it! ❤
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Of course! I try to shed light on mental health as much as possible; whether I have the illness or not. Word needs to get out. And I can’t wait to publish a post on OCPD and what’s the difference between it and OCD. Definitely, pop by and read the entry.
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Great Information. I Didn’t Know Much About The Disorder. Thank You.
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My pleasure, and thanks for reading!
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I can tell you about my dad’s and mine.
My dad – terror of the house falling down or something causing a fire. Need to check over and over again in case some wiring might be faulty, or a speck of dust might be behind something that catches fire, or a tiny crack in the plastering on a wall might mean the house is going to fall down. Couldn’t look at the house in case he saw something that triggered it and made him worry about something else. Asking for reassurance again and again but it only worked for a matter of seconds. Multiple nervous breakdowns and hospital admissions. Suicidal.
Me – terror of judgement day and being punished. Listing worries of sins I might have done and having to seek reassurance, but that only lasts a few seconds before a thought comes in – did I ask the question right? A new thought comes in that I didn’t think of from that perspective, then a sub thought, then a sub, sub thought that I didn’t check with someone for reassurance. Frantically checking the Bible and all the words in it, hebrew, greek translations to the letter, to make sure I didn’t get the meaning of the word wrong, because if I have, it might mean I’ve done a sin – it probably means I did the sin on purpose. Having to block my ears and go outside if something might be said in church on a topic that might set me off. At my worst, had to list everything I needed to do in the day such as get out of bed, make drink, clean teeth just to make sure I got my daily tasks done otherwise I would be checking 24/7.
I hope that helps people, and this is why people with OCD get upset when people just think OCD is trivial. When people say, “everyone has a bit of OCD”, no they don’t.
Thank you for writing about the topic. 🙂
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Thanks for sharing your story! I really appreciate it. I’m very hesitant to say it’s very brave of you to do so, because I know I feel some type of way when someone tells me that. But it does take courage to speak up and for that, I applaud you. I hope people can now grasp what it really entails from your experience. This is why I created this blog. To clear up the misconceptions about mental disorders. Thanks again for sharing. Please keep coming back and show your support on mental and emotional health on this blog. And I’m here if you need an ear to listen.
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