How open are you about your OCD to friends, coworkers, bosses, professors, in-laws, etc.? As I learn more about OCD, I realize that it’s a huge part of who I am- for better or worse. Given the choice, I would choose not to have it of course. But the community and sense of identity I’ve gained since my diagnosis and meeting fellow OCD peeps is kind of special to me. I don’t know how to present myself to people. In some ways, I kind of want to tell everyone I have to interact with regularly that I have OCD as a little disclaimer. It would save a lot of explaining and awkwardness. But I also hate self disclosing and don’t like to answer a lot of questions or have to educate people on OCD when they assume I must live like Monk since I have OCD 😐 I also don’t want to be known as the weird girl who over shares or makes something their whole personality.. and if I were to be up front about my OCD, I don’t want people to think I’m one of those, “omg I’m soooo OCD! I have to make sure all my labels face out!!” type of people. When do you choose to let people know about your OCD? Is it something you keep to yourself, or is it something you “take pride in” and are up front about? Are there certain people you tell (like boss, college advisor, etc.) and others you don’t disclose that to? How much of your identity is OCD?

In my case, my OCD started after a pretty heavy year and a trauma, so my closest friends and family all witnessed (virtually, since I was abroad) the symptoms and they know everything. When my symptoms were really heavy, I had to tell people beforehand, upon meeting them, because it was impossible to hide, so I only hung out with people who I thought would be able to deal with it. For the most part, it actually worked out pretty well, except for a couple of people. And that did not feel nice, two had started playing with my triggers. Now that I'm in a better place, I try to filter myself and be very selective about it, or I reveal just what I feel confortable revealing. I did it in 3 steps for a friend, for instance, because of how vulnerable it made me feel and I didn't want them to be shocked or feel they had to change their behavior around me. In my work area, it's impossible to share this information, and that s why I had to take a break until I manage my symptoms better. In summary, after all this oversharing haha, I would say it really depends on who the person is, how intense/noticeable the symptoms are, and it's okay to compartimentalize, tell close friends, but maybe not your judgemental family member who doesn't"believe in mental health". Sometimes I feel that a stranger is receptive, so I can share it really quickly. For the workplace, I think it depends on how the team is, but unless necessary, I would try to share it only with people who you feel would get it and not treat you any differently, not because of stigma or shame, but because some people need to be educated and it could be exhausting to have to deal with it at work. Again, depends on how the atmosphere is.

That said... I have often made the mistake of telling people and then that's all they think of me is "oh she has ocd" I really hate it. I say only tell people you trust.

Ya, don’t tell anyone. They won’t understand.

i was just wondering this too!

i only share it with those really close to me and my manager

im so worried to go back to work bc i feel like im gonna accidentally tell my clients something about my ocd and they’re gonna call the cops or something ☹️

I think making ocd a big part of your identity could be a mistake. I have read that one barrier to overcoming mental illness is internalizing it as am identity because then if you could "cure" it you risk a major identity change (something people resist) and zo people who accept mental illness as an identity sometimes resist qctual recovery.

Only 3 people know all my OCD themes. Everyone else? Not their business.

“Omg I’m a perfectionist too”

“I’m so ocd, clean up”

i tell EVERYONE that i interact with on a regular basis. my partner, my close coworkers, my friends, my boss. i used to not tell anyone, and i felt isolated and afraid of being called out and called crazy. my boyfriends left me, my friends got frustrated, etc. now i just announce it anytime im having an "issue," and instead of feeling humiliated, though most people can't _understand_, they accept it if im doing weird shit. in my experience, its been so much easier to divorce myself from the ocd when i make it clear to myself and others that a behavior isnt something i WANT to be doing. of course, your milrage may vary