For some reason, OCD has been colloquially mixed up with OCPD. For some altogether different reason, this greatly bothers me. There is a large difference between the two, other than just one letter. I am here to disprove some of the incorrect ideas people have about the disorder OCD.
1. OCD has to do with germs.
Not necessarily. People with OCD would not be your typical neat-freak. They would be your neat-freak to unfathomable extremes. Consider this: would washing your hands roughly and repeatedly until the skin is painful and peeling be considered a trait of a neat-freak? NO. Neat freaks may be obsessive, but they do not have the compulsions associated with actual OCD. Next time you go on a cleaning spree, remind yourself of this.
2. It is a term to describe unusual behavior.
It really depends on what behavior you're talking about. As far as abnormal psychology is concerned, it qualifies. However, labeling someone who collects raw noodles, or something else "odd", as OCD is not accurate.
3. People with OCD are ok with their behavior.
No, they most certainly are not. People with OCPD very well may be. However, a large component of OCD is frustration about the obsessions that lead to compulsions to combat a certain anxiety, in which this behavior feels unstoppable and out of a person's control.
4. People who are super sports enthusiasts or obsessed with a certain celebrity are OCD.
Try again. These people may be obsessed, but this alone does not mean a person is OCD. They just really like something to the point that it may run their lives, which is a different problem altogether.
These are just a few common misconceptions that people have about OCD. I hope this helps clarifiy what OCD actually is!
It's kinda sad that most people believe those 4 points are true. I mean, I certainly did about a few weeks ago. People are always joking around and saying "omg. I am so OCD about ____." If they really knew what OCD was then there is no way they'd want to joke about having it. Even OCPD doesn't sound too great. Wanting things to be clean is one thing, obsessing over about it is another, and developing compulsive behaviors because of those obsessive thoughts is an entirely different idea.
ReplyDeleteThis was very eye-opening. Now that I think about it, I used to associate OCD with all of the components of OCPD. Understanding the differences between the two can be crucial, especially if someone thinks that they have one of the disorders. On an episode of a TV show I was recently watching, a boy had OCD. This was very obviously OCD, as he continuously moved the couch in his house around, complaining that it wasn't right. However, when his friend tried to help him by suggesting they make popcorn, he responds saying that he likes popcorn with butter, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Honestly, I know this is supposed to be another symptom of OCD, but according to the definition we learned, I felt like this didn't really match up. That would probably be OCPD. I don't know, I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteWow, great blog Emma. We should print this out and post it to the door of the lounge or something. It's important that we get rid of this weird and frustrating misconception. First of all, I don't know who decided that people should start saying "I am so OCD about this" but it's plain wrong. We shouldn't be talking about disorders so lightly. Anyways, what is more- people aren't even using the disorder correctly. If people actually knew what OCD was, they would probably feel less comfortable saying that they are so "OCD" about things. Because they're just not! Maybe it would make sense to say "OCPD", but... wouldn't it be better if we could just say 'I get obsessive about this' or 'when things are disorganized I feel like I want to explode'? I don't know. We can work on it.
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