Stop Saying “I’m So OCD!”

I’m sure we’ve all heard this phrase before: “Oh, don’t mind me, I’m so OCD!” No you’re probably not. Unless you have an actual diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder, don’t go saying that. Lots of people like things organized and clean, maybe overly so. That’s normal. What isn’t normal is feeling like something terrible is going to happen or you’re going to die, or have a real, live, panic attack because you didn’t do a specific set of actions, at a specific time or place, in a specific order, because a voice in your head told you to do so, at the risk of doom. What isn’t normal is being absolutely convinced you’re going to get tuberculosis because you didn’t wash your hands five times in a row for exactly two minutes apiece with bleach every time you eat. These are actual OCD-type behaviors- and germs and cleanliness are not the only two types of obsessive thoughts. These thoughts can manifest in almost any form. 

These thoughts are the true version of “intrusive thoughts” so many people on social media claim to have. Intrusive thoughts aren’t just annoying, they’re persistent, scary, convincing, and feel absolutely true. Many people, including myself, experience intrusive and distressing thoughts. And when you are actually having intrusive thoughts, you are convinced that if you don’t do whatever that thought is, you will die or be severely distressed until you do whatever it is you were thinking of. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a very real and debilitating mental illness that many people struggle with every day. Don’t trivialize people who have gotten a diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional just because you are being playful and jaunty.