Describing OCD to others

I describe my OCD like the old illustrations and cartoons of a devil on your shoulders constantly whispering in your ears.

My boyfriend used to say "you're like dr strange trying to look into every possible universe that could happen and prepare for every outcome." Later when I got diagnosed I realized that is OCD lol

I posted this thread because growing up i found it incredibly difficult to explain what was going on in my head. Trying to describe something that is illogical to logic people when you yourself know its illogical is daunting. Im hoping that it may help someone struggling to better explain to others.

I've only told my wife, and it's nothing fancy. I just explain what my thought process is like. I'm the opposite, I "contracted" OCD as an adult. I literally remember the before and after process and the on/off switch type of thing. I knew at the time there was something weird happening and I called it a "weird brain thing." Turns out, it was OCD addiction being formed over a theme I couldn't stop ruminating about and after days and days of it, it became a habit and a compulsion. I think there is a lot of correlation between addiction-creating and addition-breaking in OCD. It's like heroin (I'd imagine) but you're completely sober. But back to your question -- Telling people isn't really something I wanna do. I think it would help explain a lot of stuff lol of why I act a certain way sometimes, but I just don't want to make it a focal point or create some "stigma" they focus on. I told my wife and I was super relieved when I did 'cause I'd been suffering in silence for like 8 years. It's a very lonely disorder, so glad I told her. At the same time, I don't want it to make it some crutch or something. I think I've just accepted that it's gonna be hard for anyone who doesn't have OCD to relate. What I do want her to know and what I do say, is that this is a super difficult thing to deal. And I should know because I knew the before/after period. Before was disneyland in comparison. She thinks it's "anxiety" and I'm like know anxiety is a cake walk compared to this. I basically just describe what it does from my perspective. I get intrusive thoughts, feel the compulsion to have to deal with it in whatever way, it makes you feel like crap / feel off, it ruins so many things, etc. So just pretty basic and blunt and tell her what's going on. I also feel like I should "protect her" from OCD, I don't want her to "catch it" lmao. I don't want her to start overthinking stuff where she's like "hmm maybe I should be worried about that too." And who knows, maybe that's possible. I was 98% normal / fine before OCD and I "caught it." Little did I know how sticky and damaging it would be of a disorder. I think it's obviously good to just have a partner or anyone there for some support, even if they don't fully understand OCD on a technical level.