What is OCD? As defined by the International OCD Foundation, OCD “is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease his or her distress.”
That’s the definition of OCD, but a better visual of this disorder was described by the character Dr. Daniel Pierce (played by Eric McCormack) in the TNT drama Perception (2012–2015): “Life awaits. Meaningful friendships, inspiring work, independence, your place in the world. They’re all just waiting outside your door. Now imagine if that door was locked. No key, no side exit, you’re trapped, while everybody else blossoms around you. That’s what it feels like growing up with a mental illness…”
On a more personal level, here are a couple of everyday ways that OCD has affected me:
- Avoiding stepping on lines
- Touching (and retouching) door handles and frames until an unwanted thought is out of my mind at that time
- Getting into cars and onto my scooter
- Getting into the bus driver’s seat and buckling my seat belt (for my job)
- Retyping letters or words
- Writing, specifically the start or continuation of a word
- Sitting down (on basically anything)
- Picking basic objects up
- Thoughts about harming people I love
- Distress about unpleasant sexual images repeating in your mind
- and much more…
Obsessions or compulsions I don’t have:
- Overwashing of hands
- Fear of contamination or dirt
- Needing things to be orderly or symmetrical
My OCD is considered moderate in terms of stress, anxiety, and rituals, and I have overcome a couple which I will talk about in other sections. I am able to function better some days than others. I live on my own with roommates and attend a major university full-time. I have a steady job and friends, pay bills, volunteer with my church, and so on.
One of the biggest things I believe people with OCD want to have is for people to see them for the person that they are, not for the problems caused by their disorder.
Mind@Work 