Although frequently heard of, OCD is commonly portrayed as a special condition that simply makes people anxious when a room is disorganized or a pencil is not pointy. Many people will make remarks such as “I must be a little OCD” if they are mildly uncomfortable by a slanted line. However, there are many symptoms of this illness that are simply swept under a rug, and the consequences can interfere immensely with daily life. Today at Dear Healthcare, we will dive deeper into the misconceptions of OCD.
OCD is short for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is characterized by excessive thoughts and fears that lead to compulsive behaviors. Interestingly, it was previously categorized as an anxiety disorder. However, the 5th and most recent edition of the DSM shows that OCD is categorized under the general classification of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Other disorders under this field include body dysphoric disorder (BDD), hoarding disorder, and compulsive skin picking. However, there are other conditions that can appear alongside OCD; including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
The two main aspects of OCD are compulsions and obsessions. Obsessions are excessive and intrusive thoughts related to a specific thing. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that often turn into habits, typically in order to avoid a dreaded situation perceived by the person or simply to decrease anxiety. Common obsessions can be a strong fixation with germs and contamination, counting for hours on end, or violent thoughts. On the other hand, compulsions can include the need to sort things in a certain order, touching objects a specific number of times, or even repeatedly checking if a door is locked.
It is important to note that these thoughts and actions are not typically controlled by reasoning and are not meant to be logical. They are called obsessive for this reason.
Furthermore, the following must be true in order for an official diagnosis to be issued via the DSM-5:
Obsessions and/or compulsions take up at least an hour every day or significantly interfere with the person’s daily routine.
If another Axis I disorder (a mental health or substance abuse disorder) is present, the content of obsessions and compulsions is not strictly restricted to that condition.
The disturbances are not related to a physiological nor genetic condition and aren't caused by a substance.
Now, we at Dear Healthcare try to give you the most accurate information possible. That’s why Joya so generously decided to share her experience with all of you and allowed us to interview her. And now here is 3 minutes of Joya being a great team player and talking about the reality of OCD and me forgetting to talk closer to the microphone.
Joya: My name is G’Anna, Joya. Most people refer to me as Joya and I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Alondra: Welcome onto the podcast. I am going to have you answer some questions about OCD and provide us with your experience I guess.
Joya: Okay.
Alondra: The first question is, what misconceptions do you hear often when it comes to OCD?
Joya: I’d say the most common misconception people have is that people of OCD are usually really organized and super neat, and don't hold onto a lot of stuff. But in reality, a lot of them tend to hoard stuff and it’s not about just organization in terms of cleanliness.
Alondra: Yeah, I have heard that misconception particularly a lot. So next is, what are some struggles that you have on a daily basis?
Joya: I’d say that on a daily basis, since some of my compulsions tend to be related to just feeling clean and avoiding pollution as my mind likes to think of it. So a daily struggle I tend to not breathe in certain areas because the air doesn't feel pure enough and symmetry of OCD– so if one limb feels something, I have to have it feel something on the other side.
Alondra: Yeah, that sounds a lot more I guess intense than just wanting to have your desk nice and organized.
Joya: Yeah, it’s also a lot more complex.
Alondra: Yeah. In the field of psychiatry, many illnesses get confused with each other. Even professionals can misdiagnose a patient. What are some illnesses that are commonly confused with OCD?
Joya: First, I would definitely say generalized anxiety disorder because when given my diagnosis, my psychiatrist did initially assume that it could be generalized anxiety disorder mixed with OCD because OCD can be associated with many different disorders, especially anxiety disorders, though it is not considered one.
Alondra: Oh. Well, what would you like someone to know about your condition?
Joya: I would like people to know that it’s not just what they think it is, not just the generalization of it and it's not just something that you can joke about because those jokes can be quite harmful and some people also tend to think intrusive thoughts will make someone a bad person but I disagree.
Alondra: Yeah, I have heard a lot of jokes particularly with OCD along with other certain disorders or disabilities. So yeah, definitely like, being more mindful of those comments would be great.
Joya: I agree, yes.
Alondra: So, how open are you to sharing information even to a complete stranger? This may be a bit strange to ask here since it’s on a podcast, but I guess if you were to meet someone on a street or something and then like, if it was the appropriate time to share stuff about your disorder, what would you.. Are you open to sharing that?
Joya: I would start off by telling them that there are different types of OCD and I just so happen to have an organizational and symmetrical type of OCD and that everyone’s would be different and every person’s OCD will differ. We don't all share all the same symptoms so we do share some of the same general traits, such as compulsions and intrusive thoughts.
Alondra: Interesting. And… are there any times where you felt that someone was being insensitive and/or put you down?
Joya: I would say so, yes. Because a lot of people say, “Oh it’s not that serious,” or the disorder is not that debilitating though I would definitely say it is. Regardless of the severity of your disorder I would say that it can impact your life very heavily.
Alondra: Right, because more than just like strange behavior, it's more that something that actually is intrusive to your life and actually kind of changes your daily life. Similar to the difference between being sad and having depression.
Joya: Yes.
Alondra: Right. That's all the discussion questions Anushri gave me so if there's anything else you want to talk about?
Joya: I think that's about it. There's not much I would really share and I’m sure that I would like to say that if anyone with OCD is viewing this, you are not alone with your condition.
Alondra: So again, a big thank you to Joya for agreeing to be interviewed here and providing us insight into the reality of having OCD.
It is unclear what causes OCD. However, OCD is treatable with several types of medication, psychotherapy and group therapy. Medications vary greatly, including clomipramine, fluoxetine, and paroxetine, but certainly not limited to those. It is important to discuss with your psychiatrist or doctor about the right medication for you.
Sources:
Writer: Anushri
Host: Alondra
Co-host/interviewee: Joya
Cover Art Artist: Natalie
Team Dear Healthcare:
Anushri, Alondra, Sharanya, Joya, Natalie
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