Is anyone else tired of hearing the stereotypical ocd that everyone thinks of but isnt the main one that most of us have? I by far am. I get told daily “you dont have ocd as you dont keep things clean.”
I'm not only tired of it, I get really angry due to this and also due to people who say "Oh, I am a little OCD" or "My inner Monk requires XYZ to be in a specific order." The only people who are allowed to make jokes about OCD are the people who suffer from it. I'd love to set the heads of the people straight, who have no idea what suffering from OCD really means by telling them: "Liking things neat, is not OCD. Loving to take long bathes, is not OCD. Loving to line up one's nick-nacks perfectly is not OCD. Tiding and cleaning for hours on end, while feeling anxious and following a strict pattern, which must not be altered, is OCD. Taking showers for hours using tons of soap, shampoo and extremely hot water, while scrubbing one skin till it bleeds, is OCD. Lining Up things neatly, checking repeatedly, if they are really perfectly lined up, getting extremely anxious and worried, if one is not 100% sure, that it is really neatly lined up, is OCD. Violent, or sexual thoughts, images, emotions, sensations, urges regarding people we love popping up in one's head unwillingly, causing one to feel fear, worry, shame and guilt to an unbearable extent, is OCD. Worrying about past events, worrying about mistakes done in the past, worrying about mistakes one might make in the future, ruminating, not trusting one's own memory, thoughts, feeling and intensions to the extend, that one doesn't know any longer who one is, is OCD. And those are only some examples of the havoc OCD can bring to the lives of people who suffer from this horrible, soul crushing and debilitating illness." Sorry, rant over.
@Zoë_84 I agree
@Zoë_84 I actually just made a YouTube video on it about ocd and a little rant
@Spanishkit99 Would you share the link to that video?
@Zoë_84 My cousin does this ALL THE TIME! Mind you, she’s the most annoyingly politically correct person on everything else. Super offended if anyone uses incorrect terminology. But she always says “My OCD is kicking in.” Like it’s some sort of cute quirky personality trait. Grrrrrrrrr
@dawndawn Im sorry dawndawn
It makes it very hard for people to seek help. And when we do seek help, we're often misdiagnosed and not treated effectively. It can be really frustrating.
@Anonymous Agreed
I get triggered so hard when people are like “well we all have some OCD” or “i need my desk in order ugh im so ocd about it”
@Stupot Same
@Stupot I'm a little OCD/depressed/psychotic/paranoid/... those expressions I have heard, but no one says they are a little (fill in any physical health issue). 😡 Moreover, when I say, that I am unable to do something due to my depression, anxiety, or OCD, people tend to push me to do it anyway, but no one would push someone in a wheelchair to get up and walk up a flight of stairs. I know, that I'm physically capable to do everything I get asked to do and that I should face my fears, but I and only I decide, if and if yes, when I face them.
@Zoë_84 Agreed
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 isn’t just about compulsions—it’s a mental battle that can be completely exhausting. The anxiety, doubt, and pressure to "get it right" can feel unbearable, especially when others don’t understand what’s happening beneath the surface. What’s the hardest part about living with OCD that others don’t see?
Does anyone struggle with feeling like their ocd issues are not ocd enough compared to other peoples ocd? Is this an ocd thought itself lol
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
