- Username
- nochill
- Date posted
- 5y ago
That’s really great that you’re making progress towards recovery Dale. OCD is a disorder but that doesn’t mean by any means that you can’t get better from it. Brain chemistry does affect how we think and act but exposure therapy has the potential to rewire your brain. It doesn’t work for everyone though, and I would assume many people who are actually on disability for OCD haven’t had success with the current treatments there are like SSRI’s and ERP. OCD is in fact a disorder and can absolutely be a disability.
OCD is rated one of the top ten most disabling disorders in the world
@DaleJr, OCD can be considered a disability as can other mental health disorders :) The impact OCD can have on one’s life can be detrimental. OCD is a brain disorder; it is not as simple as just realizing OCD has little power over your life, as you say.
Harm, suicidal, existential, medical, and scrupulosity. The last one that's really hanging on is the existential one because it's the most unexplainable. But it's on it's way out. The anxiety has pretty much left almost completely
I understand where you’re coming from. It’s just that for someone like me who has suffered with OCD for long term (about 10 years), it seemed like you were downplaying the seriousness of OCD by saying it isn’t a disorder or a disability, so just something to keep in mind to be careful of what you say. I understand you weren’t intending to do that. You’re fortunate you were able to seek treatment soon after the start of your disorder but for others who weren’t able to do that, treatment can be much more difficult, especially when we don’t know what life without OCD is.
Mine started officially with HOCD when I was 19 in college but looking back I had other ocd tendencies my whole life.
OCD isn't a disability.
You're only limiting your potential by labeling OCD as a disorder. You need to do more recovery work so you can realize that OCD has very very little power to your life.
*disability
But it can be defeated. Again don't make things seem so hopeless that it lasts forever. It doesn't if you put in the work.
I understand that but it truly does have little power. I went from a Y-BOCS score of 37 and brought it down to 12 in 4 months. Put in the work and it will get better. You shouldn't let this define you or your potential.
To answer the question, whether or not you choose to disclose having a disability on a job application is up to you. Choosing to do so shouldn’t affect your application.
^agreed. I'm currently a firefighter now and it didn't affect me
What kind of ocd did u have dale
Did u go on any medication?
Nope! Manifested back I'm February of this year and my YBOCS was at a 37. Today my score was a 7. It's almost over with. I will not be dealing with this ever again soon
Wow that's awesome good for you. How old r u
Preciate it! I'm 22
Of course I can absolutely believe that! Ive read many stories of others with OCD that haven't had success in treatment and it breaks my heart but it is a smaller percentage. My only intention was to provide more motivation and for others to not directly attach OCD to who they really are. No harm intended
Yeah I suffered for 6 years
@js94 When did yours start? Mine started when I was young, around 12 or 13, and I didn’t know what I was experiencing at the time. I ended up self diagnosing myself online a few years later. I wish an adult in my life would’ve recognized what I was dealing with and I would’ve been able to start therapy sooner, that would’ve made a big difference in my life.
Just applied for a new job and at the end they asked if I had any disabilities and they listed a few :Use of Wheelchair, Autism, Blindness, Deafness, and then they listed PTSD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I about died. I didn’t know why it hurts to think of OCD as a disability, but it just does. It hurts like it means I don’t deserve a high paying job. Just thinking about something so personal having to be on file: I have a broken brain. It’s a disgusting feeling. I want to rip this out of me. Is this how the world sees us? Disabled?
At what point in dating do you let your (potential) partner know that you have OCD? I’d like to start dating this year but sometimes I feel like I need to be in a better place to do that? Also I feel like if I actually get into a relationship and I don’t say anything about it that I’m hiding some dark secret. Any thoughts/experiences?
Has anyone else had trouble telling people about their OCD? I would like to help break the stigma about mental health and be a part of the change. But it is such an exhausting thing to even think about. Not only would it be difficult to tell people (even people I trust), but it would be even more difficult to have to explain to people what OCD really is (not just the stereotypes they have seen on TV). On top of that I keep thinking how do I even begin to explain the subtypes that I have experienced? I suppose I don't have to, but it helps to give some real depth for them to sink their teeth into; to really understand the difference between OCPD and OCD. I keep thinking if I can get through ERP (which I have recently done), then I can certainly share my disorder with others (well I cant be 100% certain...see what I did there?). I know I don't have to tell others about my OCD and I respect people who want to keep it private. I have for years. I just think that I would like to be confident, own it, and help others who are still figuring out about their own mental health struggles. I know many of my family and friends will be surprised to hear that I have OCD. So if you have any suggestions or anecdotes you would be willing to share that would be great. Thanks!
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