When people claim OCD as “fake”

*may be triggering to some If you’ve been following the devastating Lindsay Clancy case, the conversation has started to buzz about postpartum mental illness and OCD has been mentioned a few times. How do you deal with others shaming it/not believing it’s real? It is so triggering to me to read comments from people I know are completely uneducated and unaware saying terrible things about those struggling with mental illness. It’s devastating. I do not condone what happened to those poor children, nor do I know the full story. She chose to act and those babies are gone. But so many have now begun to shame those that share their struggles with PPD, PPP, PPA, OCD. It’s so discouraging to me as a mom with OCD to see how the world views this terribly difficult disorder.

ronitoni

Date posted: 2y

i understand and share your anger. but at the same time, you are *hypothetically* doing the same with her PPD and possible psychosis. she was hospitalized for weeks and her husband was given strict instructions to not leave her alone for the safety of herself and her children. those going through psychosis genuinely believe they’re doing a good thing. the best example i can think of is the wife of leonardo dicaprio in shutter island. that being said, mothers need SO much more attention and mental help. this has sparked many much needed conversations about the subject. most of us will never experience psychosis, but the conversation about these thoughts and impulsions are so important. they help us feel not alone - these conversations changed my life when i experienced POCD.

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@ronitoni From my understanding, she was never formally diagnosed with PPP. Her last journal entry stated she was feeling "some" PPA. I think there is so much to this complex case and information is slowly being released. It's very triggering for me to follow, so that's why I have limited information on it all. Yes, I understand what you're trying to say. And I do not have a complete understanding of PPP, PPA. But I have struggled with OCD for most of my life and it has massively flared up as a new mother. So I do understand what it feels like to be judged for something so out of my control.

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@ronitoni And yes, I completely agree. The conversations are so important. I was simply stating the hateful, negative side from people that have ZERO experience is so unhelpful. I believe I can speak somewhat on it because I have OCD.

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@ronitoni Rereading my post again, I can see how I am making generalizations and absolutes. "She chose"...I don't have all of the information. Thank you for helping me to stay educated! ❤️ (this reply was brought to you by my OCD telling me to analyze my post 😂)

Anonymous

Date posted: 2y

So triggered by this case. It has made my anxiety so bad.

Anna,hi!

Date posted: 2y

Unfortunately people do the same with adhd, depression, and anxiety. Just because there are people do down play mental illnesses, that does not mean all. Many people do sympathize and do understand indirectly or directly.

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@Anna,hi! Thank you. This really helps. People just don’t realize the hurtful things they say about something they have no real info on can be so damaging.

Anna,hi!

Date posted: 2y

Also, if people with ocd were really that “dangerous” you would see many people with this illness carrying out their thoughts. However, they do not because they are scared to shite about their thoughts and being their thoughts. People that do ki** enjoy and people with that thought are very scared and want to get to the meaning of their thought.

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@Anna,hi! This is a great point. Thank you so much. I am overly obsessed with protecting my child. And to have someone say I shouldn’t have had children if I have OCD as a mom was gutting. Trying to filter out those that have zero education and a hurtful, quick tongue.

kaio16

Date posted: 2y

she had time to regret and stop it, they took too long to die, it wasn't ocd at all

Camille24

Date posted: 2y

@kaio16 Right, that’s why I said I don’t know everything about the case and if she was truly struggling with anything under that realm. Just meaning the case has opened the discussion more than I’ve ever seen before about postpartum mental health.

m1p3

Date posted: 24w

Social Implications of OCD

Has anyone experienced their reputation affected or misunderstood because of a societally taboo OCD theme? Others catching wind of your obsessions and misinterpreting it, assuming the worst? I’m intentionally keeping it vague because I don’t want my specific situation to get reassured, but it’s been a real tough pill to swallow knowing that people close to me (and anyone else they might talk to) think of me differently. I’m unwilling to share about my OCD because I feel pretty confident it will be taken as an excuse or denial, and feels compulsive and reassurance seeking. Let me know if anyone here has experienced anything like it, how they handled it, exposures you did.

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 15w

little rant about some comments I’ve seen lately

I’m honestly getting frustrated seeing so many comments in POCD spaces that just show a lack of understanding. In the last few months, I’ve seen a multiple replies like *“well you do sound like a p”* when someone posts about engaging in compulsions like checking, or comments that go, *“you might be a p, but only you can judge that.”* These kinds of replies are harmful and completely unhelpful. POCD is about unwanted, intrusive thoughts, and actions like checking, masturbating, or staring at triggers are compulsions that come from the anxiety those thoughts create. They don’t mean anything about who we are. Yet, there’s a growing trend of people responding in a way that makes it sound like those compulsions AND any **doubts** are “proof” of something, and that’s just not true. ***This is literally a doubting disorder*** If you don’t fully understand POCD, it’s okay to step back before commenting. Let’s be more compassionate and educated in our responses, so we can create a space where people feel supported.

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 13w

Ranting, what are you doing??

Lately I’ve seen way too many comments under posts about OCD, especially the harm, POCD, and relationship themes that are incredibly misinformed and honestly harmful. People saying things like “these thoughts are unnatural,”or “you need to go get real help” and encouraging confession ***compulsions*** when they clearly have no understanding of how OCD actually works. Let me be clear: OCD involves distressing and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges. That doesn’t make someone dangerous. It makes them someone with a mental illness who is terrified of their own brain. Saying these people are “unnatural” or implying they’re broken only reinforces shame, and shame is the opposite of what helps anyone heal. If you’re commenting under OCD-related posts on an OCD ***app*** without understanding what intrusive thoughts are, or what compulsions can look like, or **how OCD can attach itself to the things we fear most** then please, stop. You are not helping. You’re reinforcing stigma and pushing people further into silence. OCD is already isolating. We don’t need more people moralizing or projecting trauma theory onto something they haven’t experienced or don’t understand. If you really care, go learn. Read about intrusive thoughts. Learn about ERP therapy. Or maybe just listen. Because some of us are barely hanging on, and comments like those don’t just miss the point, they can do real damage. I’m sorry if I come off too angry, it just really upsets me to see people speak on something they clearly don’t understand. End of rant. Thank you for reading 🤍

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When people claim OCD as “fake”

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