I have CDO. It’s like OCD but all the letters are in alphabetical order as they should be.

I understand this is meant to be funny and I also believe there is a place for humor in recovery. However, I’ve seen this all over the internet and it’s usually posted by someone who does not have OCD and feeds into the stereotype that everyone with OCD is super organized and pays close attention to detail. If you have OCD, you know that, in reality, OCD is as diverse as the people who have it. As sufferers, it is our job to break down the stereotypes and raise awareness about how deeply rooted the disorder really is, so people will understand how debilitating it can be. When people just think about OCD as meaning that you have to keep your desk organized, they don’t understand how some sufferers are hurting extremely badly. Again, I don’t mean to wreck your joke, but especially on a forum where people go for support, it is important to point out when you see something that could be offensive or even hurtful to some.

I don’t find it offensive cause it comes from a fellow ocd sufferer, I get your point cause I really hate when people are like “I’m sooo ocd” just because they are organized, but everyone on this app knows what ocd is really about, so I guess we can make jokes about it? ??‍♀️

Hi Becky B., Didn’t mean to hurt anyone at all. If it sounded so to anyone, then I humbly seek apologies. Having an OCD sufferer, I completely understand that it is not just about washing hands multiple times or keeping things arranged. Having said this, I also feel that we should learn to laugh on ourselves. Especially, when we understand that the humour is just for the sake of it and not the ultimate reality. 6 months ago, when I told about my OCD to my parents and they took to me to a psychiatrist, first time in my life, I felt like I am mentally ill and I am someone who needs treatment for it. It felt really heart breaking. Soon, I realised that I am also a normal person and not a crazy one. I stopped thinking OCD as a special kind of disorder and then started laughing on it. After all, we laugh on all our stupidities. Right?!! And I believe, OCD is the most stupid thing in us. Isn’t it?!

I don’t negate that there is room for humor in recovery and that we cannot laugh at OCD as fellow sufferers. I have laughed in OCD support group. The thing about this joke that I was hoping to point out is that the joke is itself a stereotype and was created by people with an inaccurate perception of what the disorder is. To laugh at the sheer hilarity of OCD and some of the things it makes us do is one thing, but we need to be careful not to perpetuate the stereotypes we are fighting against. Then again, this is just my personal opinion on the subject and I hope I was able to find the words that most accurately conveyed what I mean.