OCD: Why It Might Not Be What You Thought
When you hear the term “OCD,” what comes to mind?
Is it the TV show character Adrian Monk and his meticulous style of solving cases? Or perhaps Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good As It Gets, who rarely leaves his apartment for fear of coming into contact with germs? Maybe it’s hearing friends or family half-jokingly describe their personal quirks by saying things like, “I’m so OCD about my closet. Everything is color-coded!”
The truth is, the mainstream cultural understanding of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) has strayed quite a bit from what this disorder actually looks like for those who experience it.
OCD often has nothing to do with one’s level of cleanliness. Rather than being a personal preference for organization, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves the activation of the body’s stress response mechanism—and it can be debilitating.
What primarily defines OCD is the presence of obsessions. Typically, when we hear the word obsession, we think of things we want to be thinking about. With OCD, it’s the opposite. These thoughts are rooted in fear, and the brain latches onto them because they have activated the body’s fight-or-flight response. It views the thought as dangerous and alerts the body’s survival mechanisms to pay attention to it. The nervous system becomes dysregulated, and the individual experiences anxiety.
From here, the distress is so great that the person feels they must do something to get rid of the thought. This is where compulsions come in. Compulsions are behaviors or rituals performed to neutralize the anxiety caused by an obsession. They can be observable—such as checking locks or seeking reassurance—or purely mental, such as ruminating, mentally checking, or rationalizing.
Once the compulsion has been performed, relief is achieved—but only temporarily. The problem is, this short-term relief reinforces the brain’s belief that the thought was, in fact, dangerous. As a result, the next time the thought arises, the brain signals that a compulsion must be performed again. And thus, the vicious cycle continues.
Of course, almost everyone experiences obsessional thoughts from time to time. This reflects how normal anxiety may show up occasionally. What makes OCD different, however, is that this cycle happens excessively—and the thoughts are often irrational.
All this to say, OCD is far more than a desire for an organized refrigerator or a neatly scheduled calendar. Your friend with OCD could have a messy room and a Type B personality. In fact, the neat and orderly presentation of OCD often portrayed in the media more closely resembles OCPD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (perhaps we’ll have to do a blog post on that diagnosis another time!).
So, the next time you hear someone say, “I’m so OCD,” perhaps you’ll pause and consider. The more awareness there is about what this mental health issue truly is, the better we can understand and support those walking through it.
Here at Atlanta Wellness Collective, we want to help. For support, contact us or schedule an appointment online.
This blog post was written by Katherine Yates
This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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