- Username
- aliengurl
- Date posted
- 1y ago
Opening up about OCD.
Does anyone open up to friends, family, coworkers about their OCD? Specifically work.. I'm having a relapse and find it hard to function at work some days.
Does anyone open up to friends, family, coworkers about their OCD? Specifically work.. I'm having a relapse and find it hard to function at work some days.
Yes and i have found it to be so much easier than hide it. Share it with someone you trust and are close with, they will understand if you explain it to them:)
I’m in a relapse at the moment as well, I open up to my boyfriend just to let him know I’m struggling, I think it’s good to have someone know that you’re having a rough time. But it’s also hard to open up because you don’t want to feel like you’re using these people for reassurance. Sometimes I close off to protect those around me but also to ensure I don’t start seeking reassurance, but I don’t think we have to be alone. I think if you let coworkers know that you’re struggling with OCD they would be understanding but also remember that you don’t have to explain yourself to them.
Also you don’t need to tell them everything or every detail. For example at work you don’t have to explain every fear or ocd subtype of yours, just generally what you struggle with. I at least did that with my teachers at school and they were very supportive:)
@Cat75 Agree with that!
I am unable to complete my graduate school work and I keep asking for extensions and incompletes. I feel very embarrassed. Did you go through this?
OCD is so misunderstood so how much should we explain?
@Alya Aziz I guess you are from the US😅? I am living in Scandinavia so we have good systems for that compared to other countries. My therapist and school worked together and I had very understanding teachers. I wish I could help more but I don’t know how everything works in the US. Do you think your teacher would be understanding?
I open up to some family members, friends, and coworkers. If you are finding it hard to function at work and it is effecting work performance, employers legally have to provide reasonable accommodations under ADA. I suggest you look into resources online regarding accommodations and what would be required on your end.
I don’t like to tell coworkers about it because there can be a lot of stigma surrounding ocd, and because I don’t think my coworkers need to know those kinds of details about me. In my experience, my mental health struggles have always been used against me at work. But if you can access any kind of disability support, I’d suggest going that route if you need help or accommodations to do your job at the moment. It’s both no one’s business why you need support and also protected under the ADA so just from a legal standpoint, I prefer to go official routes for support and keep the details of my health to myself. But to each their own.
Thank you everyone for your input. Most of my friends know and some family. I've been finding it difficult to find support outside of therapy with people who are actually willing to understand.
Adding to above, I did let a few bosses know as well.
Thank you for your input. Were your bosses supportive?
@aliengurl Yes they were. In regards to reasonable accommodations, I don’t think I had to tell them exactly (take with a grain of salt — haven’t looked in awhile), but for a few bosses I chose to.
@aliengurl And I have some workplace accommodations
@Anonymous If you don't mind me asking what type of accomodations are out there? Also, are you in the US? Thank you
I just read a horror story about someone with POCD revealing their thoughts to people and getting shunned and now im getting anxious😭. I had wanted to tell a few of my loved ones about it in a very careful way, but now am not sure if it is a good idea (one works in mental health and another does have severe mental illness). I genuinely wonder if me doing this would be exposure or be compulsive or if it’s a bad idea overall
Hi guys! Hope everyone is having a beautiful week. I did therapy with a therapist on here and it helped me hugely, I had next to no OCD symptoms for almost 8 months, but recently it’s been flaring up again. I am much better at handling intrusive thoughts and going on with my day but I just have this huge fear of it getting as bad as it was last year. I was unable to get out of bed for 3 months because the intrusive thoughts were so debilitating. I never went to feel that way again. Does anyone have tips on how they deal with OCD flare ups and how they bring themselves back down to a happy medium? Thank you all 🤍
I was doing so good, but over the past few months, the OCD has returned with a vengenace. I try to explain what I'm experiencing to my family, but they don't understand. I just need to hear that people get it and know that I can make it out the other end alive and in one piece I've had many themes over the years, but right now, scrupulocity is taking over my life. It takes the normal day-to-day things I do, and twists them into compulsions to feed the insatiable monster that tells me if I don't do enough, be perfect enough, that I'm not a good partner-- not a good person. I'm not working hard because it feels satisfying; I'm doing it because I feel lazy and worthless if I don't. Everything has been taken to an extreme. It's making getting in the way of eating and sleeping. I'm suffering, but I feel like I need to try and pretend that I'm fine (even though I'm terrible at hiding it) because I feel like my husband will think I'm crazy, whiny, and dramatic, and eventually, get tired of it and leave. I'm not asking for reassurance. I just want to not feel so alone.
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