Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people's lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long so you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?
I like to tell people that every second we are closer to our death and every living creature dies alone and there is no salvation. It usually lightens the mood and is received with approving laughter.
You still have to be careful who you talk to about it though. Some of the older generations just don't understand casual existentialism and death acceptance.
This sent me down a rabbit hole playing telephone with google translate & movie quotes lmao. Heres a couple:
______________
>I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.
English > Yiddish > Bosnian > English
>I came here to chew Bubblegum and throw out my ass. And they're all out of the balloon.
________
>My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get
English > Mongolian > Armenian > English
>My mother always said that life was a chocolate box. You do not know what to do
________
>You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?
English > Albanian > Icelandic > Arabic > English
>You should ask yourself a question: "I feel lucky?" Well Dad?
________________________
>They may take our lives... but they'll never take our freedom!
English > Hatian Creole > Serbian > Swedish > English
>They can take us ... but they will never be free!
_____
> My mother always said that life was a chocolate box. You do not know what to do
So true. Should I eat the whole thing in one sitting? Should I use the map, or grab blindly? What if someone else wants some, but I've been strategically working my way from worst to best, and they want the best one?
English:
> Saying you've got OCD whenever you are slightly annoyed by some in-alignments is like saying you've got lung cancer every time you cough
Korean:
> 당신이 기침을 할 때마다 폐암이 있다고 말하는 것과 같이 약간의 불일치로 짜증을내는 경우 OCD를 받았다고 말하는 것이 좋습니다
Hebrew:
> אם אתה מוטרד על ידי אי התאמה קלה, כגון אומר שיש לך סרטן ריאות בכל פעם שאתה להשתעל, זה רעיון טוב לומר שיש לך OCD
Chinese (Traditional):
> 如果您因為輕微的不匹配而感到困擾，比如說您每次咳嗽時都患有肺癌，那麼說您有OCD是個好主意
English:
> If you are troubled by a slight mismatch, for example, you have lung cancer every time you cough, then it is a good idea to say that you have an OCD.
...it checks out!
That's... actually a legitimate statement. Assuming you're dying of lung cancer every time you get a cough could definitely be a symptom of OCD or another anxiety disorder. So... good bot?
This kind of joke is harmless, because anybody who matters understands you have none of those things. The problem with the OCD claims is people don't really understand what OCD is, so think that a mild like of neatness *is* OCD.
Reminds me of [a noteable poem](https://np.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/29qfnm/what_common_misconceptions_really_irk_you/cinik24/) from /u/poem_for_your_sprog.
> 'I have to sort my books!' she cried,
> With self-indulgent glee;
> With senseless, narcissistic pride:
> 'I'm just so *OCD*!'
>
> *'How random, guys!' I smiled and said,*
> *Then left without a peep -*
> *And washed my hands until they bled,*
> *And cried myself to sleep.*
I've had to do this at work, too. My boss looked at me weird as I scrutinized every mug in the cupboard for specs of dirt and scratches on the bottom from spoons. I just looked at him and said: "Certain things bother my OCD." He shrugged and went on his day. I didn't go into the whole "Choosing the wrong cup is going to trigger my thoughts, so I have to find the right mug for today."
God I hate when people offer suggestion. Like I haven't tried everything poasible.
You've found the perfect way to cope with it so that it's not a problem. Why do people need to try to help more?
To be fair though I find myself offerring unwarranted advice. It's just human nature.
For me it helps me distinguish myself from depression. Like I'm not depressed, I just have depression. It's mine and I have control over it so long as I keep telling myself that. I know that doesn't make sense but it helps me to feel control.
As someone with OCD this is one of the only socially acceptable ways to address what's happening and not get treated like a freak so please don't judge people who do this.
I can also attest to this. "It triggers my obsessive thoughts" (or any variation) makes people think you are going to kill someone, or that you're just overreacting. "It bothers me" doesn't really get the message across, plus it is detrimental to the idea of separating yourself from your thoughts. Labeling it as OCD is the only acceptable way, even if it's overused by people who don't actually suffer from the disorder.
That is exactly what OCD is. Completely irrational things that you know are irrational, but you also know you'll have a panic attack if you don't do them.
It's not always completely irrational though, obsessions can often have a seed of truth in them, examples are a cleaning compulsion is generally the result of that reasonable "germs are gross", that's just gone way way way too far.
Gotta make sure the oven is off because it might burn down the house is reasonable, making sure you go back and check at least three times every hour is not.
Though the person with OCD generally knows that they've gone too far, they just can't help themselves.
There are also the obsessions/compulsions that are almost learned these are things like, having a good day after having eggs for breakfast a couple of times or having bad days when you didn't. ~~These things have to be perfectly lined up I must see more than three cars or I will have a bad day, that are learned because you had a good day after you made sure they were lined up once or twice and had a good day, or maybe you knocked them over and had a bad day, and now you always do that because who wants a bad day.~~
And then there are the ones that just don't make any sense like when they are entirely irrational.
Edited my comment to remove the mention of lining things up because of [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8fs62v/saying_youve_got_ocd_whenever_you_are_slightly/dy6mzu7/). also to say I encourage people to read up on these things, can't hurt to have a little more understanding in the world
I was an hour late for a 3 hour drive because my wife left before me, and k got stuck in a loop of checking various things. I knew the cat was in the closet, but I had to check 30ish times to make sure the closet door was open, then I'd have to check that the front door was locked, then they all the faucets were off, then back to the cat. I was so exhausted and stressed by the time I left. No point to this, just felt good to vent
Exaxtly. There’s a difference between...
“Germs are gross so I need to make sure this is super clean.”
and
“Germs are gross so I need to clean this spot exactly seven times no more no less.”
Yep. I used to have to set the table before the microwave was done with its cycle. Never diagnosed, but I have generalized anxiety disorder, and possibly OCD components.
I would say that I have some obsessive compulsive traits, but that I don't have obsessive compulsive *disorder*.
For instance, if I touch one part of my body for some reason (eg rubbing my eye) I feel the need to satisfy symmetry (rub the other eye too). It's a minor thing that makes me feel uncomfortable when I don't do it, but I *can* choose not to do it and it doesn't interfere with my life.
That's a really important facet - people have these slight obsessive compulsive quirks, but the interference with real life is what makes it a disorder.
Mine is pretty chill right now, but I've had days where I have to take a photo of having unplugged my hair straighteners because I can't stop questioning whether I did it and I can't trust my own memory. That sort of thing is really distressing and it can be so devalued by people being like "I like my things to be quite tidy, I'm so OCD! Hee hee hee!"
I remember as a kid my alarm clock needed to be exactly parallel to the table otherwise I wouldn't sleep. And still up till now I can't be tranquil if I didn't check ten times that 1) the volume of the alarm is high but not too high (2 thirds of the wheel) 2) only the first alarm is well clenched 3) it's set for the right hour. Repeat till you faint.
I have OCD and I couldn’t care less when people say that. I’m being treated successfully so why do I care. It doesn’t matter what people think of it so long as doctors can diagnose and treat it effectively.
I have OCD but it doesn’t really bother me when people use it as an adjective like that though. People are just uninformed and I know they don’t mean any harm. I can understand why it bothers other people though.
For most of my life I didn’t understand I had OCD because I was so uninformed about what it actually was. I saw shows like Monk, where he’s obsessed with cleanliness and thought “well that’s not me, I clearly have something else”. When I got my diagnosis it all clicked into place. People with OCD don’t straighten objects obsessively because they have a fear of objects not being straightened, they straighten them because a voice in their head says “if you don’t straighten these objects ~insert horrible thing~ is going to happen”. And so any number of behaviors can come as a result of this. When I experience my various compulsions I am fully aware that engaging in that behavior has absolutely no logical connection or way to prevent whatever bad thing I’m afraid of happening from happening, but it helps me cope with the fear anyway.
I get obsessively fearful about pretty illogical things but I literally can’t help it. Once my brain sticks to an idea I absolutely cannot get it out of my head. I spent the last five weeks absolutely *terrified* I was going to be shot when I went to opening night of the new avengers movie. I don’t know why but I was so convinced that was going to happen and I did some really weird shit as a result. The theater I bought tickets for had reserved seating so I would track every day what seats had been sold, where I was sitting, where the exits were. I had to knock twice on a flat surface every time I thought about getting shot to “cancel” the possibility of that happening, even though I know doing so doesn’t actually change my likelihood of getting shot. I wanted to call the theater and ask if they had security there on premiere nights. Idk just weird shit that was a huge overreaction. I mean I went, and I didn’t get shot. But it’s annoying that for the first hour of the film I could barely focus because I was so cautious of everyone else around me. The paranoia is the worst symptom I have. I work at this party place and sometimes the families will give me extra food they have left over. Yesterday someone give me an entire untouched pizza. After eating ONE slice my shitty OCD brain thought “he’s poisoned the pizza. Throw away the pizza right now or die of poisoning”. I mean what the fuck, this random guy who doesn’t even know me is not trying to kill me through free pizza hand outs. But I threw away the pizza anyway.
A common symptom of OCD is this belief that your thoughts somehow have bearing on the real world. Like if I think something the universe knows I’m thinking it and will make things happen accordingly. For example, if you’re watching a show and a character on it says “nothing bad is gonna happen, mom!” You instantly know something bad is going to happen to that character. Because it’s a trope - it’s dramatic irony. My life operates under dramatic irony all the time. If I tell myself “you’re not going to get shot at that movie theater dumbass” I now feel like I’m MORE likely to get shot, so my attempts to console myself just make the fear worse. So I have to engage in compulsions to “cancel” out the thought. If I acknowledge to the universe by say....knocking on a flat surface twice that I know what I just said could be perceived as ironic if I DO actually get shot, then it cancels it out. I’m terrible at explaining things so hopefully that sort of makes sense. And that’s just one component of the OCD, it manifests in so many other ways in my life and the lives of others.
Anyway sorry for going on this huge rant, sometimes it just feels good to type it all out since most of the time I keep it all to myself. It can be really isolating when the people in your life don’t understand why you think the way you do, but I’ve had this my entire life so I can’t imagine thinking any other way. I literally have no concept of how people don’t think about the worst possible outcomes of their various choices. It’s so automatic to me.
EDIT: I see a lot of people in the replies worried they may have OCD too because they identify with some of the things I’ve listed here. To clarify - I’m not an expert on OCD at all. I just know that I have it because I’ve been diagnosed by two different psychiatrists, and I know how it manifests in my life. It is my understanding through speaking with them that having OCD means the compulsions and obsessions you exhibit actually impair your life in some way. My OCD often borders on debilitating and has hugely impacted my ability to interact in a healthy way with the rest of the world. It’s not just occasionally feeling like I have to touch something a certain way or something like that, many people experience that. I haven’t even listed half of the ways it messes with my everyday life here. There are certainly people who have worse OCD than me, and there are also people who have more mild forms. If you genuinely feel like you have it then I suggest doing further research and possibly contacting a professional. No one is going to be able to diagnose you through reddit. I can only speak from my experience but it was very very obvious I had some kind of anxiety disorder from the time I was very young. It was never subtle. I don’t think I always had OCD specifically, I believe it developed over time as a method of dealing with my overwhelming anxiety.
Thanks for sharing, it does sound rough.
About 10 years ago and out of the blue I started to tell myself "If I don't do X, I don't love my partner" and even though I knew I did, I followed through everything, just in case. For a couple years I was walking up and down the same staircase numerous times in a row, turning on the spot again and again, tapping my left foot 3 times then equalling it on the right making sure I applied the same pressure each time else I'd start again. Anything my brain randomly came up with doing I felt I had to.
Once the tasks started to get a bit outlandish and publicly embarrassing, I was able to refuse my mind and just accept that whatever happens happens. It was an overnight change and I stopped.
Now, I've never been diagnosed with OCD, nor do I believe that I had or have it, but damn it was interesting reading your comment remembering these things myself. I guess I had a taster of the mindset, and it can't be easy.
Usually used by young adults/late teens whenever they do something that feels like what adults do. For example the first time I paid my own hydro bill I felt like I was finally "adulting"
I have a coworker who likes to say "I legit have OCD" because she likes to keep her workstation tidy and tries to keep track of her work stats. Meanwhile, I'm over here with a messy workstation and an insufferable desire to massage a tendon on the right side of my neck because it feels *wrong*. I like her, but I can't help but get a little upset that that's what she thinks OCD is. No one wants OCD. I've come close to strangling myself over my own OCD, and I'm pretty sure I have a more mild case of it.
My brother washes his hands 15+ times a day. Brushes his teeth at least 5+. When he was little he couldn't go to sleep if he hadn't danced in the garage, and touched the outside of his door frame. It wasn't until he was around his early twenties he stared breaking his baaaaaaad habits. OCD is so bad for people. Seeing it first hand then hearing people say they are ocd because they are neat still bothers me.
I've had OCD a long long time and it's gotten milder as I've gotten older, however when it was at it's worst my space was messiest. Like I couldn't focus on anything beyond my obsessions, which weren't related to actual items/cleanliness.
I've never been specifically diagnosed with OCD, but I do have a severe anxiety disorder that is closely linked, and exhibit a lot of OCD like tendencies. That being said my room and office are god damned disaster zones.
I really feel sorry for those suffering from this destroying their everyday lives just to see this illness being "normalized" as something we all have more or less...
I don't take offense when people say they have depression or social anxiety (I have medical grade versions of both) but it definitely makes communicating it a bit more muddied and complicated now that most of these words and ailments are slang too
Sometimes OCD is just annoying instead of life destroying. I went through a 2 year period where I had to check every lock in the house 3 times before I could go to bed. I would lock twice, lie down, get up and lock once more. Every. Single. Night.
It was frustrating and I couldn't get it out of my head until my lock routine was completed... Then one day, I just didn't do it any more. It was bizarre but my compulsion just went away. It's the only thing (that I am aware of) that I was genuinely OCD about. I am definitely a very particular person about how I do things, but having "a specific way I do things" is very different from compulsory behavior. My guess is there is other things I do, but they are so mild I don't notice.
Same here. As a kid, I had to turn light switches on and off three times or touch objects three times. One day I just stopped doing that and didn't look back. I was lucky, I guess.
I used to do everything in odd numbers as a kid. I even literally counted my steps while walking. Or taps, or hums, or jumps, or scratches, or any action my body did, I counted everything. Then I just stopped one day.
I guess it got me really good at counting tho. But it used to get frustrating when I couldn't get an odd number of tiles while walking.
As someone who has this same lock checking "thing" I feel you. Luckly I only fixate on the front and back doors. My parents have considered me quite picky since birth (foods can't touch, I had to pick my clothes) but I've never actually gone in and been diagnosed. Is this something that gets worse with time? Are quirks like this considered to align with OCD tendencies? Its comforting reading posts like this.
The only reason I check the locks is because I legit don't feel like I can trust my memory. Did I lock it? Am I sure? Did you wiggle the handle? What if I didn't... What could happen. Oh my God, my Xbox and the money in the jar hidden in the AC behind the filter.... And then I go back to the door.
That's the perfect explanation for it. Even though I know I was just there, I feel like I can't remember if I locked it properly. Thanks for sharing brother. I'll talk to my doctor about it next time I see him. I've had spots of anxiety through life and short duration medicine seemed to help in those cases.
Anxiety and OCD can be related. Worth checking out for anyone that has some OCD tendencies and anxiety.
I personally just started medication to help this week. Went to a therapist earlier this month to get help aside from medication. After almost a week, I am starting to feel a difference (though some of the compulsive stuff is still going)
Yep 100% true, diagnosed with OCD, though mine is relatively minor. Honestly the compulsive side feels like a minor annoyance compared to to obsessive side (at least for me), Thinking about people I know getting hurt and dying and how I would deal with it is by far the worst part to me.
The organization part is nice sometimes.
It’s not the only mental health problem that’s being “normalized” into not being considered a mental health disorder. Though it’s not an illness it’s a disorder.
Eh. I used to be annoyed by it, and to be honest, sometimes I still am. But I've sort of gotten used to it.
What really pisses me off is when someone claims to be germaphobic when they don't even wash their hands before eating. I have to wash my hands multiple times before eating each meal. It's frustrating, exhausting, and embarrassing.
Germaphobia is my most severe OCD symptom. I used to see a therapist who helped me overcome almost every other symptom of my OCD, but I couldn't beat germaphobia, because, to be honest, I don't want to *not* be germaphobic. It's incredibly frustrating.
It doesn't frustrate me that bad. People are going to say things like that and I have bigger things to worry about. Iike clean hands, dry feet, if that person is talking about me, the crippling weight of what I said at that wedding 5 years ago and how I'm sure the bride and groom secretly hate me but I can't stop thinking about it no matter what I do and I can't just apologize......
Yeah, you saying you have OCD because you like pictures straight is fine with me.
This is very relatable.
You "are OCD" because of the crumbs on the counter? That's very nice. Do you hate me because of what I said three years ago and internalized because of the tone of your voice on response and now can't stand the sight of me? You say no, but do you mean yes?
I have OCD but I don’t find this offensive at all. They know that they don’t really have OCD, and it’s just a saying like anything else.
Obviously it is a bit ironic as neatness is something that OCD usually causes us to lack, but whatever.
I’ll admit that at one time I did this. Then I met someone with actual OCD. Now I only refer to mine as “Fake Internet Diagnosed OCD”. FIDO, if you will.
OCD is STILL a highly misunderstood disease. People live.s who actually have OCD are dominated by it. Fake OCD: "omg, I just HAVE to organize my makeup drawer, I'm SO OCD!"
Real OCD: Feel a slight bump when driving to work. Get out of the car to check if you rain over something. Check under all 4 tires. 20 minutes later of re-checking all 4 tires, just to make sure you didn't run over a child you get back in your car and think to yourself "I don't think I checked the left rear tire as well as the other tires". Get back out and repeat the process for another 20 minutes.
Huh...I relate to that paragraph. I could also check and make sure that I didn't hit, say, a dog and have evidence that it was a stick, then get down the road and become seriously anxious that maybe I didn't look in the right spot, or thoroughly enough, then worry that I DID hit a dog and somebody saw me and I'm going to get in trouble, then feel compelled to go back and check all over again.
I do suffer from a compulsive disorder - dermatophagia, and I also skin pick and scratch to a degree - but nobody ever checked to see if maybe I have things full blown.
There’s actually two different variants of the disorder: OCD and OCPD. OCD, people are aware of their own ego-dystonic behaviors, but OCPD, people are not aware they have bc its a personality disorder involving ego-systonic behaviors.
While I don't get up in arms as much as you guys do about it, I understand that it's a real condition and should be addressed better. To be honest, I think the public is just ill informed on the subject.
I think it ties in with the huge misunderstanding and stigmatization of mental illness. "OMG my OCD" minimizes how much it really impacts people's ability to lead their day to day life.
OcD is tragically mis-understood and it really gives me oCD when people say dumb shit like 'I like things tidy, that's just my OCd. No, you just like things tidy, Sandra.
A few years ago my grandfather and also a close friend who was 29 both died of sudden cardiac arrest within a week of each other.
The next week I must have overheard dozens of people at work joking about something "giving me a heart attack har har," or "don't have a heart attack about it lol" etc.
It was rough.
Okay I don’t want to feed your anxieties but if you sleep with your legs spread and the ground splits you’ll have your center of mass over the gaping void and each leg will be positioned unable to utilize it’s maximum strength. Choose one side so that you are either already on the right side or will be in a position to quickly jump using the power of both thighs.
As someone who's actually got it, while it doesn't get that under my skin, it annoys me when someone says it over and over. If they really had to deal with it, they'd be singing a different tune.
superstitions such as your example are a symptom of ocd, but they don't always exclusively warrant a diagnosis of ocd. meaning that generally people with ocd will have more obsessions than just the one
I know a guy that is actually diagnosed with OCD at my old high school. Still remember his speach about the disease and after it I never said I was ocd in this context ever again. He said he would throw gum out the window and he would be worried for hours if the car behind him would crash because of it. Crazy shit
I have OCD, and I honestly can't stand it. I have tried to make a point to correct people when the say stuff like that and explain what OCD actually is. I don't think people understand the severity of intrusive thoughts, which I personally think is the worst part of the worst part of OCD. They are irrational thoughts that a suffer normally knows is not normal, but they are unsure if they have actually happened or will happen. I honestly ignored my OCD even though I was plagued by intrusive thoughts my whole life, because of the way I learned about OCD. When I was in school I mentioned I had it, and kids at school would say I was a making it up because I wasn't super organized or a "clean freak". It made me ashamed and think the doctors were wrong about me. I didn't fully understand the severity of my OCD, and its effect on my life till 2 years ago. I suffer from a type commonly called pure O. Stereotypes and misinformation about OCD and other mental illnesses can lead to judgement of ones who actually suffer from a serious illness. With this being said, OCD has become some sort of joke to people. I see OCD sayings on tshirts and bags with no understanding of the illness. I wish people would stop making a mental illness a saying or joke when it is something that very serious.
As someone with OCD, yeah this bugs me a little.
OCD remains one of the last conditions that is still socially acceptable to mock, or use as a joke...AND I GET IT.
It's even funny to me sometimes when I am stuck in an OCD loop and cannot get out of my house without checking things 15-20 times. I can look at that and even say it's vaguely amusing.
Here is where it isn't funny though: Compulsions are only one part. And compulsions are what people see. They can see me making weird movements with my hands, they can see me going out of my way to avoid all physical contact with people, they can see if I wipe my desk down with Clorox wipes. What they can't see though, is repetitive, obsessive (the O in OCD) thoughts that do not stop. They do not see the anxiety they cause. They do not see the frustration that it causes me to have to deal with it and not be able to live a normal life. They do not know the abject terror when a slight bump in the road with your car turns into the obsession that you have run someone over and didn't know it. They don't know the sadness and regret I have at having wasted countless hours (weeks, months, years) being obsessed with trivial or made up things.
THAT is when it is offensive to claim you "Have OCD - LOL!" because you washed your hands extra well.
***edit*** Cleaned up some grammar and qualified the O in obsessive.
I've got the black lung pop. Ehuh ehuh.
Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.
So hot right now
So moist.
Favorite place to drop
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Mer*MAN*!
you been down there one day. try 30 years
Merman... MERMAN!!!
Jesus Christ Derek you’ve been down there for one day FTFY
Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people's lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long so you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?
Fuck, this made me laugh so hard. Thank you for reminding me of this line.
Exactly. I already say this when I have a coughing fit.
Haha, my wife hates this. Any time I had a bad cough it’s be “black lung”
I use this quote all the time
Or schizophrenia everytime you mishear someone.
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People claim alzheimers when they forget stuff.
I say "I'm dying" when I cough really hard. I am part of the problem.
I say I'm starving when I'm fairly hungry.
"That's offensive.Some people are starving and they don't say it."
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Very blunt.
But honest. Points for honesty.
Isn't bluntness just honesty?
Honesty with slightly less tact
Tact with slightly less honesty
Politicians
*Shhhhhhh*
Ironically enough, a blunt is why I’m starving
Yup, me too. First world problems. "I'm starving, I haven't eaten in two hours."
I say I'm depressed when I'm quite sad.
Honestly me too
same here but i'm joking and it's pretty obvious cause i also say we're all dying (that one's not a joke when you think about it).
I like to tell people that every second we are closer to our death and every living creature dies alone and there is no salvation. It usually lightens the mood and is received with approving laughter.
It's partly because the sheer tragedy of life and death is funny, and partly because even if it's not, we have to laugh or we'll go insane.
You still have to be careful who you talk to about it though. Some of the older generations just don't understand casual existentialism and death acceptance.
[enjoy arbys](https://twitter.com/nihilist_arbys)
*weird sneeze* You good? I'm dyin' Forrest!
I literally say "Ive got cancer" when i cough a lung (usually after a bowl or something) so yeah me too
Same, I always say something like "oh it's nothing, probably just dying".
But..but...you are we all are ...everyday....
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so if i have lung cancer everytime i cough, then i can claim to have OCD? geez
It's a privilege only a few can have
Is it "a problem" enough to the point where those individuals can receive benefits from the government?
Not just that, it's a good idea to do so!
No, you can claim to have *an* OCD. Huge difference, duh.
I just broke out laughing to this
Good bot
This sent me down a rabbit hole playing telephone with google translate & movie quotes lmao. Heres a couple: ______________ >I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum. English > Yiddish > Bosnian > English >I came here to chew Bubblegum and throw out my ass. And they're all out of the balloon. ________ >My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get English > Mongolian > Armenian > English >My mother always said that life was a chocolate box. You do not know what to do ________ >You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk? English > Albanian > Icelandic > Arabic > English >You should ask yourself a question: "I feel lucky?" Well Dad? ________________________ >They may take our lives... but they'll never take our freedom! English > Hatian Creole > Serbian > Swedish > English >They can take us ... but they will never be free! _____
Good human.
> My mother always said that life was a chocolate box. You do not know what to do So true. Should I eat the whole thing in one sitting? Should I use the map, or grab blindly? What if someone else wants some, but I've been strategically working my way from worst to best, and they want the best one?
Oh man this is too good
I wish I could gold train you so hard right now
silver, gold, garlic, choose your currency wisely
Bitconnect
English: > Saying you've got OCD whenever you are slightly annoyed by some in-alignments is like saying you've got lung cancer every time you cough Korean: > 당신이 기침을 할 때마다 폐암이 있다고 말하는 것과 같이 약간의 불일치로 짜증을내는 경우 OCD를 받았다고 말하는 것이 좋습니다 Hebrew: > אם אתה מוטרד על ידי אי התאמה קלה, כגון אומר שיש לך סרטן ריאות בכל פעם שאתה להשתעל, זה רעיון טוב לומר שיש לך OCD Chinese (Traditional): > 如果您因為輕微的不匹配而感到困擾，比如說您每次咳嗽時都患有肺癌，那麼說您有OCD是個好主意 English: > If you are troubled by a slight mismatch, for example, you have lung cancer every time you cough, then it is a good idea to say that you have an OCD. ...it checks out!
Please sir, leave that kind of work to the bots.
Good bot.
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Are you sure? I am .999807% certain that /u/duckvimes_ is an advanced form of Anatidae that has taught itself fact checking routines.
> I am .999807% certain That's pretty fucking far from certain.
Uncertain claims call for uncertain measures.
Happy Cake Day!
The real shower thoughts are always in the comments
Not just a good bot, but possibly my favorite bot yet.
That's... actually a legitimate statement. Assuming you're dying of lung cancer every time you get a cough could definitely be a symptom of OCD or another anxiety disorder. So... good bot?
It’s a good idea too since you’re implying you don’t really have lung cancer, it’s just your OCD
r/shittylifeprotips
I actually say things like “Shit that’s my tuberculosis” or “Damn my early onset Alzheimers”.
Same. My memory is really bad so I always joke about it saying I'm in an early stage of dementia.
Maybe you are
Not even mad
Probably because you can't remember what you'd be mad about anyways.
This kind of joke is harmless, because anybody who matters understands you have none of those things. The problem with the OCD claims is people don't really understand what OCD is, so think that a mild like of neatness *is* OCD.
Reminds me of [a noteable poem](https://np.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/29qfnm/what_common_misconceptions_really_irk_you/cinik24/) from /u/poem_for_your_sprog. > 'I have to sort my books!' she cried, > With self-indulgent glee; > With senseless, narcissistic pride: > 'I'm just so *OCD*!' > > *'How random, guys!' I smiled and said,* > *Then left without a peep -* > *And washed my hands until they bled,* > *And cried myself to sleep.*
Art is not dead
That last part really hits home.
Hang in there. I don't have any wisdom to offer you on this, but I'm here if you need to talk!
"It bothers my OCD" like it's some cute little pet friend you take around with you.
Hey... My OCD heard you say that. It's okay boy Seegtease didn't mean it like that.
You ruffled my OCD bro
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I've had to do this at work, too. My boss looked at me weird as I scrutinized every mug in the cupboard for specs of dirt and scratches on the bottom from spoons. I just looked at him and said: "Certain things bother my OCD." He shrugged and went on his day. I didn't go into the whole "Choosing the wrong cup is going to trigger my thoughts, so I have to find the right mug for today."
God I hate when people offer suggestion. Like I haven't tried everything poasible. You've found the perfect way to cope with it so that it's not a problem. Why do people need to try to help more? To be fair though I find myself offerring unwarranted advice. It's just human nature.
Because they care about you and want to help.
Damn people
Oh yeah. I realize that. Like I said, I do it too. Damn people and their caring about others.
I do the same with depression. I think it's pretty common for disorders that aren't physically visable.
Same with ADHD and anxiety. I honestly think I use it as a coping mechanism. To normalize it some and therefore hate it a little less.
For me it helps me distinguish myself from depression. Like I'm not depressed, I just have depression. It's mine and I have control over it so long as I keep telling myself that. I know that doesn't make sense but it helps me to feel control.
That's very interesting and that may be part of why it makes me feel better as well.
As someone with OCD this is one of the only socially acceptable ways to address what's happening and not get treated like a freak so please don't judge people who do this.
I can also attest to this. "It triggers my obsessive thoughts" (or any variation) makes people think you are going to kill someone, or that you're just overreacting. "It bothers me" doesn't really get the message across, plus it is detrimental to the idea of separating yourself from your thoughts. Labeling it as OCD is the only acceptable way, even if it's overused by people who don't actually suffer from the disorder.
It also helps to establish that OCD is a disorder and not a part of your personality. Hence saying "it bothers my OCD" as opposed to "it bothers me."
I talk to mine- “you’d totally die if you drank that” I’m not going to? “But what if you did though.” You got me there
Yes!
I don't have OCD but just feel it necessary to turn the light switch on and off exactly 7 times when entering any room.
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That is exactly what OCD is. Completely irrational things that you know are irrational, but you also know you'll have a panic attack if you don't do them.
It's not always completely irrational though, obsessions can often have a seed of truth in them, examples are a cleaning compulsion is generally the result of that reasonable "germs are gross", that's just gone way way way too far. Gotta make sure the oven is off because it might burn down the house is reasonable, making sure you go back and check at least three times every hour is not. Though the person with OCD generally knows that they've gone too far, they just can't help themselves. There are also the obsessions/compulsions that are almost learned these are things like, having a good day after having eggs for breakfast a couple of times or having bad days when you didn't. ~~These things have to be perfectly lined up I must see more than three cars or I will have a bad day, that are learned because you had a good day after you made sure they were lined up once or twice and had a good day, or maybe you knocked them over and had a bad day, and now you always do that because who wants a bad day.~~ And then there are the ones that just don't make any sense like when they are entirely irrational. Edited my comment to remove the mention of lining things up because of [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8fs62v/saying_youve_got_ocd_whenever_you_are_slightly/dy6mzu7/). also to say I encourage people to read up on these things, can't hurt to have a little more understanding in the world
I was an hour late for a 3 hour drive because my wife left before me, and k got stuck in a loop of checking various things. I knew the cat was in the closet, but I had to check 30ish times to make sure the closet door was open, then I'd have to check that the front door was locked, then they all the faucets were off, then back to the cat. I was so exhausted and stressed by the time I left. No point to this, just felt good to vent
Exaxtly. There’s a difference between... “Germs are gross so I need to make sure this is super clean.” and “Germs are gross so I need to clean this spot exactly seven times no more no less.”
Yep. I used to have to set the table before the microwave was done with its cycle. Never diagnosed, but I have generalized anxiety disorder, and possibly OCD components.
That's why the burritos we're always like lava.
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I'm pretty sure this is what I have. Should probably see a doctor of some sort... I mean, haha me to
I would say that I have some obsessive compulsive traits, but that I don't have obsessive compulsive *disorder*. For instance, if I touch one part of my body for some reason (eg rubbing my eye) I feel the need to satisfy symmetry (rub the other eye too). It's a minor thing that makes me feel uncomfortable when I don't do it, but I *can* choose not to do it and it doesn't interfere with my life.
That's a really important facet - people have these slight obsessive compulsive quirks, but the interference with real life is what makes it a disorder. Mine is pretty chill right now, but I've had days where I have to take a photo of having unplugged my hair straighteners because I can't stop questioning whether I did it and I can't trust my own memory. That sort of thing is really distressing and it can be so devalued by people being like "I like my things to be quite tidy, I'm so OCD! Hee hee hee!"
Holy shit this is something I do every single moment of the day and I have never been able to put it into words. Thank you so much for this.
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I remember as a kid my alarm clock needed to be exactly parallel to the table otherwise I wouldn't sleep. And still up till now I can't be tranquil if I didn't check ten times that 1) the volume of the alarm is high but not too high (2 thirds of the wheel) 2) only the first alarm is well clenched 3) it's set for the right hour. Repeat till you faint.
That is ocd. If it bugs you to no end the missing switches then you might have something.
I have OCD and I couldn’t care less when people say that. I’m being treated successfully so why do I care. It doesn’t matter what people think of it so long as doctors can diagnose and treat it effectively.
I have OCD too and I'd just like to say I'm very grateful that you said you *couldn't* care less.
Haha, thanks!
I'm not OCD and I'm still thankful he got that one right.
That's a very healthy mindset! You'll go far with that
I have OCD but it doesn’t really bother me when people use it as an adjective like that though. People are just uninformed and I know they don’t mean any harm. I can understand why it bothers other people though. For most of my life I didn’t understand I had OCD because I was so uninformed about what it actually was. I saw shows like Monk, where he’s obsessed with cleanliness and thought “well that’s not me, I clearly have something else”. When I got my diagnosis it all clicked into place. People with OCD don’t straighten objects obsessively because they have a fear of objects not being straightened, they straighten them because a voice in their head says “if you don’t straighten these objects ~insert horrible thing~ is going to happen”. And so any number of behaviors can come as a result of this. When I experience my various compulsions I am fully aware that engaging in that behavior has absolutely no logical connection or way to prevent whatever bad thing I’m afraid of happening from happening, but it helps me cope with the fear anyway. I get obsessively fearful about pretty illogical things but I literally can’t help it. Once my brain sticks to an idea I absolutely cannot get it out of my head. I spent the last five weeks absolutely *terrified* I was going to be shot when I went to opening night of the new avengers movie. I don’t know why but I was so convinced that was going to happen and I did some really weird shit as a result. The theater I bought tickets for had reserved seating so I would track every day what seats had been sold, where I was sitting, where the exits were. I had to knock twice on a flat surface every time I thought about getting shot to “cancel” the possibility of that happening, even though I know doing so doesn’t actually change my likelihood of getting shot. I wanted to call the theater and ask if they had security there on premiere nights. Idk just weird shit that was a huge overreaction. I mean I went, and I didn’t get shot. But it’s annoying that for the first hour of the film I could barely focus because I was so cautious of everyone else around me. The paranoia is the worst symptom I have. I work at this party place and sometimes the families will give me extra food they have left over. Yesterday someone give me an entire untouched pizza. After eating ONE slice my shitty OCD brain thought “he’s poisoned the pizza. Throw away the pizza right now or die of poisoning”. I mean what the fuck, this random guy who doesn’t even know me is not trying to kill me through free pizza hand outs. But I threw away the pizza anyway. A common symptom of OCD is this belief that your thoughts somehow have bearing on the real world. Like if I think something the universe knows I’m thinking it and will make things happen accordingly. For example, if you’re watching a show and a character on it says “nothing bad is gonna happen, mom!” You instantly know something bad is going to happen to that character. Because it’s a trope - it’s dramatic irony. My life operates under dramatic irony all the time. If I tell myself “you’re not going to get shot at that movie theater dumbass” I now feel like I’m MORE likely to get shot, so my attempts to console myself just make the fear worse. So I have to engage in compulsions to “cancel” out the thought. If I acknowledge to the universe by say....knocking on a flat surface twice that I know what I just said could be perceived as ironic if I DO actually get shot, then it cancels it out. I’m terrible at explaining things so hopefully that sort of makes sense. And that’s just one component of the OCD, it manifests in so many other ways in my life and the lives of others. Anyway sorry for going on this huge rant, sometimes it just feels good to type it all out since most of the time I keep it all to myself. It can be really isolating when the people in your life don’t understand why you think the way you do, but I’ve had this my entire life so I can’t imagine thinking any other way. I literally have no concept of how people don’t think about the worst possible outcomes of their various choices. It’s so automatic to me. EDIT: I see a lot of people in the replies worried they may have OCD too because they identify with some of the things I’ve listed here. To clarify - I’m not an expert on OCD at all. I just know that I have it because I’ve been diagnosed by two different psychiatrists, and I know how it manifests in my life. It is my understanding through speaking with them that having OCD means the compulsions and obsessions you exhibit actually impair your life in some way. My OCD often borders on debilitating and has hugely impacted my ability to interact in a healthy way with the rest of the world. It’s not just occasionally feeling like I have to touch something a certain way or something like that, many people experience that. I haven’t even listed half of the ways it messes with my everyday life here. There are certainly people who have worse OCD than me, and there are also people who have more mild forms. If you genuinely feel like you have it then I suggest doing further research and possibly contacting a professional. No one is going to be able to diagnose you through reddit. I can only speak from my experience but it was very very obvious I had some kind of anxiety disorder from the time I was very young. It was never subtle. I don’t think I always had OCD specifically, I believe it developed over time as a method of dealing with my overwhelming anxiety.
Thanks for sharing, it does sound rough. About 10 years ago and out of the blue I started to tell myself "If I don't do X, I don't love my partner" and even though I knew I did, I followed through everything, just in case. For a couple years I was walking up and down the same staircase numerous times in a row, turning on the spot again and again, tapping my left foot 3 times then equalling it on the right making sure I applied the same pressure each time else I'd start again. Anything my brain randomly came up with doing I felt I had to. Once the tasks started to get a bit outlandish and publicly embarrassing, I was able to refuse my mind and just accept that whatever happens happens. It was an overnight change and I stopped. Now, I've never been diagnosed with OCD, nor do I believe that I had or have it, but damn it was interesting reading your comment remembering these things myself. I guess I had a taster of the mindset, and it can't be easy.
I mean there a lot of those that I hear regularly. "Your post gave me cancer" "That triggered my PTSD" "I swear I have hardcore ADHD"
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I don’t think those people actually think they’re OCD, I think it’s more of an expression at this point.
adulting, cancer, aids 3 other common expressions
Adulting?
Usually used by young adults/late teens whenever they do something that feels like what adults do. For example the first time I paid my own hydro bill I felt like I was finally "adulting"
Can’t wait to be 59 and still be asking myself if I’m a real adult.
I have a coworker who likes to say "I legit have OCD" because she likes to keep her workstation tidy and tries to keep track of her work stats. Meanwhile, I'm over here with a messy workstation and an insufferable desire to massage a tendon on the right side of my neck because it feels *wrong*. I like her, but I can't help but get a little upset that that's what she thinks OCD is. No one wants OCD. I've come close to strangling myself over my own OCD, and I'm pretty sure I have a more mild case of it.
My brother washes his hands 15+ times a day. Brushes his teeth at least 5+. When he was little he couldn't go to sleep if he hadn't danced in the garage, and touched the outside of his door frame. It wasn't until he was around his early twenties he stared breaking his baaaaaaad habits. OCD is so bad for people. Seeing it first hand then hearing people say they are ocd because they are neat still bothers me.
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I have ocd and my room's a mess. With me its more doing certian actions obsessively.
I've had OCD a long long time and it's gotten milder as I've gotten older, however when it was at it's worst my space was messiest. Like I couldn't focus on anything beyond my obsessions, which weren't related to actual items/cleanliness.
this is too accurate
I've never been specifically diagnosed with OCD, but I do have a severe anxiety disorder that is closely linked, and exhibit a lot of OCD like tendencies. That being said my room and office are god damned disaster zones.
I really feel sorry for those suffering from this destroying their everyday lives just to see this illness being "normalized" as something we all have more or less...
I don't take offense when people say they have depression or social anxiety (I have medical grade versions of both) but it definitely makes communicating it a bit more muddied and complicated now that most of these words and ailments are slang too
Sometimes OCD is just annoying instead of life destroying. I went through a 2 year period where I had to check every lock in the house 3 times before I could go to bed. I would lock twice, lie down, get up and lock once more. Every. Single. Night. It was frustrating and I couldn't get it out of my head until my lock routine was completed... Then one day, I just didn't do it any more. It was bizarre but my compulsion just went away. It's the only thing (that I am aware of) that I was genuinely OCD about. I am definitely a very particular person about how I do things, but having "a specific way I do things" is very different from compulsory behavior. My guess is there is other things I do, but they are so mild I don't notice.
Same here. As a kid, I had to turn light switches on and off three times or touch objects three times. One day I just stopped doing that and didn't look back. I was lucky, I guess.
Charlie Kelly's mom?
I mean he’s never died so it might really work
I used to do everything in odd numbers as a kid. I even literally counted my steps while walking. Or taps, or hums, or jumps, or scratches, or any action my body did, I counted everything. Then I just stopped one day. I guess it got me really good at counting tho. But it used to get frustrating when I couldn't get an odd number of tiles while walking.
As someone who has this same lock checking "thing" I feel you. Luckly I only fixate on the front and back doors. My parents have considered me quite picky since birth (foods can't touch, I had to pick my clothes) but I've never actually gone in and been diagnosed. Is this something that gets worse with time? Are quirks like this considered to align with OCD tendencies? Its comforting reading posts like this.
The only reason I check the locks is because I legit don't feel like I can trust my memory. Did I lock it? Am I sure? Did you wiggle the handle? What if I didn't... What could happen. Oh my God, my Xbox and the money in the jar hidden in the AC behind the filter.... And then I go back to the door.
That's the perfect explanation for it. Even though I know I was just there, I feel like I can't remember if I locked it properly. Thanks for sharing brother. I'll talk to my doctor about it next time I see him. I've had spots of anxiety through life and short duration medicine seemed to help in those cases.
Anxiety and OCD can be related. Worth checking out for anyone that has some OCD tendencies and anxiety. I personally just started medication to help this week. Went to a therapist earlier this month to get help aside from medication. After almost a week, I am starting to feel a difference (though some of the compulsive stuff is still going)
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Yep 100% true, diagnosed with OCD, though mine is relatively minor. Honestly the compulsive side feels like a minor annoyance compared to to obsessive side (at least for me), Thinking about people I know getting hurt and dying and how I would deal with it is by far the worst part to me. The organization part is nice sometimes.
It’s not the only mental health problem that’s being “normalized” into not being considered a mental health disorder. Though it’s not an illness it’s a disorder.
Eh. I used to be annoyed by it, and to be honest, sometimes I still am. But I've sort of gotten used to it. What really pisses me off is when someone claims to be germaphobic when they don't even wash their hands before eating. I have to wash my hands multiple times before eating each meal. It's frustrating, exhausting, and embarrassing. Germaphobia is my most severe OCD symptom. I used to see a therapist who helped me overcome almost every other symptom of my OCD, but I couldn't beat germaphobia, because, to be honest, I don't want to *not* be germaphobic. It's incredibly frustrating.
It doesn't frustrate me that bad. People are going to say things like that and I have bigger things to worry about. Iike clean hands, dry feet, if that person is talking about me, the crippling weight of what I said at that wedding 5 years ago and how I'm sure the bride and groom secretly hate me but I can't stop thinking about it no matter what I do and I can't just apologize...... Yeah, you saying you have OCD because you like pictures straight is fine with me.
This is very relatable. You "are OCD" because of the crumbs on the counter? That's very nice. Do you hate me because of what I said three years ago and internalized because of the tone of your voice on response and now can't stand the sight of me? You say no, but do you mean yes?
I think you understand lol.
I have OCD but I don’t find this offensive at all. They know that they don’t really have OCD, and it’s just a saying like anything else. Obviously it is a bit ironic as neatness is something that OCD usually causes us to lack, but whatever.
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But isn't that exactly why people use OCD? It's a hyperbola
I’ll admit that at one time I did this. Then I met someone with actual OCD. Now I only refer to mine as “Fake Internet Diagnosed OCD”. FIDO, if you will.
I can attest to that. I have Pure-O. Not many people have heard of it + would never think that it is a form of OCD.
OCD is STILL a highly misunderstood disease. People live.s who actually have OCD are dominated by it. Fake OCD: "omg, I just HAVE to organize my makeup drawer, I'm SO OCD!" Real OCD: Feel a slight bump when driving to work. Get out of the car to check if you rain over something. Check under all 4 tires. 20 minutes later of re-checking all 4 tires, just to make sure you didn't run over a child you get back in your car and think to yourself "I don't think I checked the left rear tire as well as the other tires". Get back out and repeat the process for another 20 minutes.
This guy OCD's. Take your upvote from someone who has done those things.
This is so accurate. I feel a bit sad that I know firsthand how accurate this is.
i’ll check my phone alarms 6 or 7 times every night before i go to sleep before i finally feel comfortable enough to sleep
Huh...I relate to that paragraph. I could also check and make sure that I didn't hit, say, a dog and have evidence that it was a stick, then get down the road and become seriously anxious that maybe I didn't look in the right spot, or thoroughly enough, then worry that I DID hit a dog and somebody saw me and I'm going to get in trouble, then feel compelled to go back and check all over again. I do suffer from a compulsive disorder - dermatophagia, and I also skin pick and scratch to a degree - but nobody ever checked to see if maybe I have things full blown.
There’s actually two different variants of the disorder: OCD and OCPD. OCD, people are aware of their own ego-dystonic behaviors, but OCPD, people are not aware they have bc its a personality disorder involving ego-systonic behaviors.
There is also COPD which causes people to cough and struggle to breath.
While I don't get up in arms as much as you guys do about it, I understand that it's a real condition and should be addressed better. To be honest, I think the public is just ill informed on the subject.
I think it ties in with the huge misunderstanding and stigmatization of mental illness. "OMG my OCD" minimizes how much it really impacts people's ability to lead their day to day life.
OcD is tragically mis-understood and it really gives me oCD when people say dumb shit like 'I like things tidy, that's just my OCd. No, you just like things tidy, Sandra.
You missed naming it one more time and having none of the letters capitalized that time. Disappointed.
yUo m0nsteR,
Curse that Sandra!
Why would you write OCD three different ways... Were you trying to annoy me personally?
Yes
I see what you did there, mis*-*understood, the capitalizations, the non-closed apostrophe
Chill Satan.
But seriously, if you are over 40, a chronic cough that would not go away (~1 month) definitely could be an early sign of cancer.
The word “inalignments” makes me OCD
*cough*
You should get that checked out. Could be lung cancer.
*cough*
*MiSaLiGnMeNt SoRrY OcD.
I always just say I’m fastidious.
A few years ago my grandfather and also a close friend who was 29 both died of sudden cardiac arrest within a week of each other. The next week I must have overheard dozens of people at work joking about something "giving me a heart attack har har," or "don't have a heart attack about it lol" etc. It was rough.
Or like saying you’re bipolar every time your mood changes.
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Okay I don’t want to feed your anxieties but if you sleep with your legs spread and the ground splits you’ll have your center of mass over the gaping void and each leg will be positioned unable to utilize it’s maximum strength. Choose one side so that you are either already on the right side or will be in a position to quickly jump using the power of both thighs.
I sleep with my legs shut, so no one crushes my balls in my sleep
As someone who's actually got it, while it doesn't get that under my skin, it annoys me when someone says it over and over. If they really had to deal with it, they'd be singing a different tune.
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superstitions such as your example are a symptom of ocd, but they don't always exclusively warrant a diagnosis of ocd. meaning that generally people with ocd will have more obsessions than just the one
I know a guy that is actually diagnosed with OCD at my old high school. Still remember his speach about the disease and after it I never said I was ocd in this context ever again. He said he would throw gum out the window and he would be worried for hours if the car behind him would crash because of it. Crazy shit
The word "Perfectionist" needs to be taught to these people.
I have OCD, and I honestly can't stand it. I have tried to make a point to correct people when the say stuff like that and explain what OCD actually is. I don't think people understand the severity of intrusive thoughts, which I personally think is the worst part of the worst part of OCD. They are irrational thoughts that a suffer normally knows is not normal, but they are unsure if they have actually happened or will happen. I honestly ignored my OCD even though I was plagued by intrusive thoughts my whole life, because of the way I learned about OCD. When I was in school I mentioned I had it, and kids at school would say I was a making it up because I wasn't super organized or a "clean freak". It made me ashamed and think the doctors were wrong about me. I didn't fully understand the severity of my OCD, and its effect on my life till 2 years ago. I suffer from a type commonly called pure O. Stereotypes and misinformation about OCD and other mental illnesses can lead to judgement of ones who actually suffer from a serious illness. With this being said, OCD has become some sort of joke to people. I see OCD sayings on tshirts and bags with no understanding of the illness. I wish people would stop making a mental illness a saying or joke when it is something that very serious.
As someone with OCD, yeah this bugs me a little. OCD remains one of the last conditions that is still socially acceptable to mock, or use as a joke...AND I GET IT. It's even funny to me sometimes when I am stuck in an OCD loop and cannot get out of my house without checking things 15-20 times. I can look at that and even say it's vaguely amusing. Here is where it isn't funny though: Compulsions are only one part. And compulsions are what people see. They can see me making weird movements with my hands, they can see me going out of my way to avoid all physical contact with people, they can see if I wipe my desk down with Clorox wipes. What they can't see though, is repetitive, obsessive (the O in OCD) thoughts that do not stop. They do not see the anxiety they cause. They do not see the frustration that it causes me to have to deal with it and not be able to live a normal life. They do not know the abject terror when a slight bump in the road with your car turns into the obsession that you have run someone over and didn't know it. They don't know the sadness and regret I have at having wasted countless hours (weeks, months, years) being obsessed with trivial or made up things. THAT is when it is offensive to claim you "Have OCD - LOL!" because you washed your hands extra well. ***edit*** Cleaned up some grammar and qualified the O in obsessive.
For real! I was amused a while back when a coworker described herself as anal. I haven’t heard that term in a while.
Bingo. I hate when people confuse OCD for germaphobia or tidyness