One Of The Most Misunderstood Mental Health Conditions: OCD
In this day and age, several debates have surged on the sensitization and acceptance of mental health conditions, to actively prompt individuals to disseminate factual information and seek the relevant assistance to cope with the same, while ending the stigma.
However, very often, we see individuals attribute mental disorders, illnesses and disabilities as adjectives. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, i.e. OCD being one; to describe the ‘quirky’ characteristics of individuals, who may or may not elicit subtle signs of holding ‘organized’ or ‘perfectionist’ tendencies. Now, it is ‘debilitating’ because it pervades the various areas of an individual’s life, ranging from work, relationships, and family to physical health. So, you are not ‘kinda OCD’ for being a neat freak, or for displaying specific habits of control.
Such peculiar connotations not only distort the understanding of OCD as a debilitating mental health condition but also creates an unhealthy space to glorify and demoralize it while pushing those who suffer off the edge. Perhaps, it’s time for us to realize and discern the genuine nature of the condition and gain a better understanding of the same.
Worldwide, approximately, 2% of the general population suffers from OCD. Hence, to understand this enervating mental disorder, we need to first know its definition.
As classified under the modernised version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, i.e. the DSM-V, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder, wherein, individuals have recurring, and unwanted thoughts, sensations and ideas (obsessions), that compel them to perform specific actions (compulsions).
These behaviours, when they become repetitive, can tremendously interfere with one’s daily life activities, and pervade into the social and occupational sphere too. They influence the functionality of the individual suffering, thus, causing a great deal of distress. Now, this doesn’t particularly mean that those who experience it, relentlessly wash their hands, or check their stove 15 times, as stereotypically portrayed.
The compulsions are triggered by obsessions, i.e. the ideas and thoughts that evoke a feeling of anxiety and compel the individual to act. Such actions are particularly taken to reduce the feeling of anxiety and to seek reassurance. The compulsions are subjective to the individual, but often, take shape as general symptoms that recur.
Examples of the obsessions experienced entail intrusive sexual thoughts, ideas of blasphemy or unwarranted aggression towards specific individuals or a community. Compulsions include rituals and actions to wear off the anticipated ‘bad’ event from happening, and manifest in the form of repetitive checking, which is subjective to the individuals concerned.
Here is a list of misconceptions on OCD that have been debunked through some FACTS
- Myth: Having OCD Means You Are Organized & A ‘Neat Freak’
Absolutely not! OCD propels an individual to experience chronic fear and feelings of anticipated danger, which is mostly, groundless and irrational in nature.
2. Myth: People With OCD Wash Their Hands 24x7
Not always. While it can emerge as a ‘common’ compulsion, it is subjective from individual to individual, since compulsions are NOT specific. And as mentioned above, compulsions are performed as a response to obsessive thoughts and anxiety.
3. Myth: OCD Makes You ‘Overly-Anxious’
This remark can come off as derogatory because those who suffer from OCD already experience a great deal of guilt, shame and humiliation. Calling them ‘uptight’ or ‘overly-anxious’, is disparaging and trivializes the condition while demoralizing the struggles of the individual who suffers.
4. Myth: People With OCD Are ‘Perfectionists’
No! As iterated, OCD is a debilitating mental health condition. Since individuals are propelled to tone down their feelings of anxiety via compulsions, the behaviour can manifest in the form of seeking excessive control and order. The in-built tendency to ‘seek perfectionism’ is generally absent.
5. Everybody Is A ‘Little OCD’
Definitely not, because OCD often stems from a predisposition in the biological constitution, i.e. can range genetically. Major life events, traumatic experiences, life in dysfunctional families and a poor sense of self-worth can trigger the disorder. About one in a hundred individuals suffer from OCD, and it can originate in childhood.
6. OCD Cannot Be Treated
False! While it is true that OCD is not a curable mental disorder, it can be treated with therapies that include ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention), CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy), rTMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), and Medications. Treatment is sought post-diagnosis by a mental health professional and/or institution.
Hence, seeking the right information about this mental health condition can help us understand and empathize with those who suffer from it.
