Are we considered 'mentally ill'?

OCD is a mental illness yes. However, it’s one of the more treatable mental illnesses. Although there is no cure, it can be treated to not be noticeable at all, or barely noticeable. Don’t let the label of Mental Illness scare you.

I’m not sure how the psychological community views it but in the medical and nursing model it is not considered a mental illness but a disorder, from what I studied. Mental Illnesses are considered those that are basically completely dependant on medications for the safety of the patient: such as schizophrenia for example. This doesn’t mean that medications can’t help OCD - but people can improve without them. Another idea to explain the difference between mental illness and a mental disorder is that all people naturally have some anxiety, obsessions, irrational unwanted thoughts, compulsions, preoccupation with food or weight, depression.....and people can shift up and down the spectrum in their lives or in and out of a “disordered state”. They are in the “disorder” category when the symptoms (that can otherwise be normal) interfere with normal life functioning as self assessed by the person themselves. People don’t naturally have hallucinations or delusions (such as in schizophrenia) unless something adversely physical is happening to them (an adverse reaction to a medication or a severe concussion) -so in that case people with schizophrenia or similar mental illness are said to have a mental illness rather than a disorder.

It doesn't scare me. I only wondered where we stood on the spectrum. Thank you!

OCD is considered a mental illness. HOWEVER, you are not labeled as “Mentally Ill.” You are a strong, capable, beautiful person who also struggles with a mental illness. Terminology makes all the difference

I’m not sure about what the above comment said, but from the psychological community and even from those I’ve asked in the medical, we view this as a mental illness. It does not have to be treatable with medication to be an illness. Many mental illnesses are not curable with medication. In fact, most aren’t. They require both medication and therapy for the most success in overcoming them. Also, just because OCD is a mental illness doesn’t mean you have to let that hold you back. It’s just something we have, but it’s not who we are.