- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
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.
- Date posted
- 3y
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.
- Date posted
- 3y
Ya, don’t tell anyone. They won’t understand.
- Date posted
- 3y
i was just wondering this too!
- Date posted
- 3y
i only share it with those really close to me and my manager
- Date posted
- 3y
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 ☹️
- Date posted
- 3y
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.
- Date posted
- 3y
Only 3 people know all my OCD themes. Everyone else? Not their business.
- Date posted
- 3y
“Omg I’m a perfectionist too”
- Date posted
- 3y
“I’m so ocd, clean up”
- Date posted
- 3y
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
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w
I get asked about the name NOCD a lot. People might want to know how it’s pronounced, and they’re curious about our story. Every time, I’m excited to share a bit about what the name means—in fact, it’s an opportunity for me to talk about something everyone should know about OCD. First things first: it’s pronounced “No-CD.” And it actually means a couple things, both central to our mission: To restore hope for people with OCD through better awareness and treatment. The first meaning of our name is about awareness: Know OCD. Though we’ve come a long way, not enough people truly know what OCD is or what it’s like. How many times have you heard someone say “Don’t be so OCD about that,” or “I wish I had a little OCD. My car is a mess!” Things like that may seem innocent, but they trivialize the condition and keep most people with OCD—around 8 million in the US alone—from getting the help they need. The second meaning of NOCD is about treatment: No-CD. To go a bit deeper: Say “No” to the compulsive disorder. On one level, this is also related to knowing OCD—noto means “to know” in Latin. This inspired the name NOTO, the operations and technology infrastructure that powers NOCD the way an engine powers a vehicle. But this meaning goes even further. It has to do with how you can manage OCD symptoms—learning to resist compulsions. This is the foundation of exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective, evidence-based form of treatment for OCD. Learning how to resist compulsions with ERP changed my life, and it taught me how important it is to get treatment from a specialty-trained therapist who truly understands how OCD works. I’ll give you an example. When I was 20, my life was going according to plan. I was thriving on the field as a college quarterback, doing well in school, even winning awards—until OCD struck out of nowhere. I started having taboo intrusive thoughts, things that horrified me and went against my core values and beliefs. Desperate for help, I saw several different therapists—but no one diagnosed me with OCD. At one point, I was instructed to snap a rubber band against my wrist whenever I had an intrusive thought. It was supposed to stop the thoughts, but it only made my symptoms worse. Driven into severe depression, I had to put my entire life on pause. Once I started ERP with a therapist who understood OCD, I learned why: you can’t stop intrusive thoughts from occurring. Everyone has them—and the more you try to get rid of them, the worse they get. Anything you do to suppress them is actually a compulsion, whether it’s counting in your head, snapping a rubber band against your wrist, or using substances to drown the thoughts out. To get better, you have to learn to resist compulsions and accept uncertainty. OCD doesn’t get to decide how you live your life. How do you educate the people in your life about OCD? Whether friends, family, or strangers, I’d love to hear how you share your understanding and raise awareness about OCD.
- Date posted
- 14w
For those of you in relationships with ROCD, do your partners know of your diagnosis. I am new to treatment and new to this avenue of mental health. I am generally pretty open and honest with my partner about things but the dark side of my mind I keep hidden. I’m scared to tell him about this if I’m diagnosed. And I’m scared that if I’m diagnosed and something real does go south in the relationship then my diagnosis will be used against me.
- Date posted
- 6w
i was recently diagnosed with ocd and i think im having a hard time identifying what is my ocd and what isn’t? or im not really sure how to express myself but i feel like i still don’t really know much about ocd and feel like an imposter saying i have it because i don’t know enough about it to really understand it? like all my life these things i would do or say or think or feel were i guess “normal” to me,, so how do i move forward when i don’t know really where to begin?
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