I wish more people knew what OCD really is, how it hurts and how we are living with it! But I'm afraid of people starting to judge us, especially in relation to taboo topics... I'm afraid of this happening and making our situation worse. People are very judgmental, they always want to have an opinion, even without having complete information... Has anyone thought this too?
Oi! Yes, i do relate to it — and it rapidly turns towards loved ones, being afraid of not being understood by them. I think the hardest part of it is that not only it’s hard facing stigma or even discrimination, but it also may feed intrusiveness as there’s a degree of uncertainty in not being understood by someone.
Exactly. My parents know about my intrusive thoughts (because sometimes I get really bad, so I can't hide it), but other people I love, like my uncles and friends, have no idea about it. I have this fear of being judged 😢
@Lizzie Scheav It’s hard, isn’t? What helps me is discerning between psychophobia (misinformation and discrimination regarding mental health matters) and depending on others to sync with my emotions, sensations and own needs.
@brenoaugusto Yes, everytime when I think "what my friend will thing about me? I'm disgusting" my anxiety spikes. I'll try to be more empathetic w myself 🥹
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Yes! People judge a lot for any reason especially on internet
@Lizzie Scheav It would be like someone saying they had schizophrenia. I don't know what that feels like so you could have empathy but unless you experience something you can't truly expect people to understand. And OCD isn't portrayed correctly in the media so I don't blame most people for being ignorant.
@StoicGuy I strongly agree about it!!!
Well to me it was always a personal battle so I didn't tell people I had OCD.
Yes, just my parents barely know about my intrusive thoughts. I never told anyone about it. I feel so ashamed and I don't feel comfortable to talk about my OCD theme w friends
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.
OCD is so much more than just being 'neat' or 'organized'—it’s relentless, exhausting, and often deeply misunderstood. The intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the anxiety—it can feel like a never-ending cycle that others just don’t seem to get. Many of us have had experiences where even therapists didn’t fully grasp the depth of our struggles. I myself faced difficulty being misdiagnosed and my talk therapist not understanding the full extent of what I was going through until I found NOCD. So many prior therapists wrote off my symptoms as general anxiety, not realizing it was actually OCD all along. If you could sit down with a therapist who truly wanted to understand, what do you wish they knew about OCD?
OCD can be an incredibly lonely experience, especially when people around you don’t understand the thoughts and fears you’re facing. But you’re not alone—others have been there too. What’s something about OCD that makes you feel isolated or alone?
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