5 Common Misconceptions About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
When you think of OCD, what comes to mind?
Lots of us would probably picture someone keeping their space extremely neat, washing their hands excessively, or flipping switches a certain number of times. While these actions can all be the result of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), these stereotypes aren’t actually representative of what it’s like to have OCD.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that is frequently misunderstood, often because of the way it’s portrayed in the media. The media portrayals we see about OCD tend to play off common stereotypes rather than representing the truth, which leads to confusion and misinformation about a disorder that is actually fairly common.
What is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a specific type of anxiety disorder. Someone with OCD experiences intense and unwanted thoughts that can be extremely distressing. Often, the thoughts are violent, shameful, or otherwise taboo in nature, making them extremely difficult to talk about.
These intrusive thoughts can be related to extreme fears of committing violence against yourself or others; unwanted and upsetting sexual thoughts; fears of contamination or illness; and more.
People who have OCD often have intrusive thoughts like:
I could jump off the edge of this building right now.
I could injure my partner with my car.
What if I drop this baby I’m holding?
What if I committed a sex crime against someone and I just can’t remember doing it?
What if I leave the stove on and burn down the house?
These upsetting thoughts, or obsessions, can be wildly distressing. They often bring up intense feelings of shame and fear, and the stigma around mental illness can make it hard for people to be honest about what they’re going through.
To cope with the distress that these thoughts bring up, they might alter their behavior in certain ways. They might avoid going up to the roof of tall buildings. They might refuse to drive a car, or pick up a child, or spend time alone with anyone. They might need to check that the stove is off, multiple times, because of the overwhelming feeling that something bad is going to happen if they don’t. These actions are known as compulsions.
Approximately 1-3% of the population will experience OCD in their lifetime. Despite its prevalence, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about OCD, making it tough to understand.
These are some of the most common misconceptions about OCD that our NYC therapists hear about:
OCD is about keeping things neat or clean
While some individuals with OCD do experience obsessions and compulsions related to cleanliness or germs, many don’t. OCD isn’t about being a perfectionist, a germaphobe, or being highly organized.
It’s crucial to understand that you can be messy and still have OCD because the diagnosis isn’t based on how tidy or disorganized you are. OCD is characterized by the presence of obsessions (unwanted intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (the actions taken to relieve the distress caused by those thoughts). The nature of those obsessions can take many forms, instead of just being focused on germs or cleanliness.
OCD is a quirk or a choice
OCD is not a quirk or a personality trait; it's a severe mental disorder. It can be invalidating to folks with OCD to hear people describe themselves as “so OCD”, and that invalidation can make it harder for them to seek help.
Individuals with OCD often experience distressing thoughts and behaviors that they cannot control, despite their desire to do so. It’s essential to recognize that OCD is not a chosen behavior but a complex interplay of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.
OCD never changes
Someone with OCD won’t always have the same obsessions and compulsions throughout their life - they can change over time. The nature of the intrusive thoughts that someone with OCD experiences might shift in topic as they get older.
While some symptoms may remain consistent, others may fluctuate in intensity or form. Working with a therapist who specializes in OCD treatment can help you manage the disorder, even if your obsessions and compulsions shift.
It’s easy to tell if someone has OCD
While media portrayals show people with OCD as being easy to spot, due to their unusual behavior patterns, that’s not actually the case. There’s no surefire way to identify OCD just by looking at someone.
Individuals with OCD often go to great lengths to hide their symptoms due to shame or embarrassment, leading to misconceptions about the disorder's visibility. The taboo nature of the intrusive thoughts can also be a barrier to people sharing their suffering with OCD. Often, obsessive compulsive disorder keeps people isolated because they don’t want anyone to know what’s really going on in their heads.
There’s nothing that can be done about OCD
In our culture, we are starting to accept that mental health issues are a normal part of being a human, but our acceptance is often limited to the “popular” disorders, like anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. Other disorders, like OCD, schizophrenia, bipolar, are less publicly understood, which makes seeking treatment for them even harder. There’s often the idea that there’s nothing that can be done about serious mental health disorders, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
OCD is highly treatable. Various therapeutic approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and medication, can significantly alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life for individuals with OCD.
Everyone is a little OCD
The notion that everyone has a tendency to behave "a little OCD" is misleading and trivializes the severity of the disorder. While many people may exhibit certain traits associated with OCD occasionally, true OCD involves distressing obsessions and compulsions that significantly impair daily functioning. You can’t be “a little” OCD - you either have the disorder, or you don’t. Often, when people use OCD to describe people’s personality traits, they mean that someone is particular, or organized, or tidy, or something similar.
Understanding what OCD is and is not is essential for fostering understanding and compassion for those affected by the disorder. Increasing the understanding around Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can help people suffering feel less alone, less ashamed of their thoughts, and more likely to seek help. Remember, OCD is not a choice, but treatment and support can make a significant difference for those dealing with it.
Are you (or is someone you know) struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Our therapists at Anchor Counseling New York can help. Our clinicians are accepting new clients - schedule an appointment today to get started.
Blog authors all hold positions at Anchor Counseling. For more information about our therapists and services please contact us.
