So now that you know what OCD is we can move forward with some other truth's about mental illness. Perhaps you were surprised by what you read because you always thought OCD was a term used to describe organised or fussy people. Maybe now it wouldn't shock you to know that the World Health Organisation ranked OCD as one of the top ten most debilitating illnesses of any kind in the world.
OCD and it's effects are truly devastating. I know that first hand. It is confusing and terrifying when you don't understand your own mind. It doesn't help when the media portrays mental illness as something to be ashamed of and feared. This leaves many people with OCD lost and terrified to admit to having these horrible thoughts and fears. Terrified that they will be ostracised or told by doctors that they are "crazy."
One thing I would like to address is, the word "crazy" isn't a medical term, it means nothing, perhaps you mean insane? People with OCD are NOT insane. However, most people with OCD are afraid that they are. One thing you should know is that, if you or someone else thinks they are insane or is able to ask if they are, they are not. Someone who is insane has no idea that they have lost their sanity or their mind.
The guilt that many OCD thoughts or obsessions bring causes a huge amount of self hate. They are sometimes too ashamed to tell someone the horrific things their mind thinks in fear of judgement or the idea that having these thoughts must mean they are a bad person. I tell them this, OCD creates the thoughts that you find most repugnant and worry inducing. If they were someone who actually wanted these bad things to happen or to carry out these horrific thoughts then they wouldn't be so distressed upon having them.
NEVER has ANYONE with OCD carried out a harmful act upon having harmful thoughts. In fact they are the least likely people to harm anyone seeing as they fear it so much, they will go to great lengths to see that the thoughts never come true. Even without those lengths, OCD wouldn't cause them to harm anyone or be more likely to. It is important to understand that the thoughts and fears of someone with OCD do not reflect who they are. The illness is creating these thoughts and images and impulses in their mind and NOT them. It's also important to understand that OCD and individuals with it are NOT dangerous. It is horrible and debilitating and can ruin the lives of individuals who have it, but THEY are NOT THEIR OCD and neither OCD or people who live with it are dangerous.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
What is OCD?
I'll start out simply by answering the question, what is OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental illness characterised by, get this, obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are recurring, sometimes constant, intrusive thoughts that cause the individual distress and extreme anxiety. These can come in the form of images or impulses the individual finds disturbing. Usually when a person has a random, unprovoked disturbing thought they can dismiss it. However, in people with OCD the illness causes that to be exceedingly difficult, and thus their minds obsess over them, causing it to be nearly impossible to think of anything else. This leads to constant worry, severe anxiety and compulsions.
Compulsions are actions one takes to avoid the obsession or the prospect of the disturbing thought coming true. For example, one could have the thought that touching something would result in them contracting an illness thus the compulsion would be washing their hands. The catch is, compulsions only relieve the anxiety for a short time before the obsession starts again. "Well you didn't wash them well enough." or "Maybe you accidentally touched something else since then without realising."
The individual IS AWARE that these obsessions are often irrational sometimes flat out impossible but that does not lessen the illness's ability to cause severe anxiety. Knowing that what's causing you anxiety is irrational is extremely frustrating but OCD preys on the irrational part of the mind leaving the person warring within their brain. I used the hand washing example because many people attribute obsessive cleanliness to OCD. However this is not always the case. Obsessions and compulsions come in many forms taking shape as whatever the individual finds most disturbing at the time. They could have images in their mind of hurting a loved one, something they would NEVER DO or willingly think of and they find it so distasteful that the very thought causes panic. As you can imagine, thoughts like that often cause a downward spiral of self hatred, confusion, and terror. Many with OCD are so consumed with worry they find daily life difficult, even impossible.
Compulsions are actions one takes to avoid the obsession or the prospect of the disturbing thought coming true. For example, one could have the thought that touching something would result in them contracting an illness thus the compulsion would be washing their hands. The catch is, compulsions only relieve the anxiety for a short time before the obsession starts again. "Well you didn't wash them well enough." or "Maybe you accidentally touched something else since then without realising."
The individual IS AWARE that these obsessions are often irrational sometimes flat out impossible but that does not lessen the illness's ability to cause severe anxiety. Knowing that what's causing you anxiety is irrational is extremely frustrating but OCD preys on the irrational part of the mind leaving the person warring within their brain. I used the hand washing example because many people attribute obsessive cleanliness to OCD. However this is not always the case. Obsessions and compulsions come in many forms taking shape as whatever the individual finds most disturbing at the time. They could have images in their mind of hurting a loved one, something they would NEVER DO or willingly think of and they find it so distasteful that the very thought causes panic. As you can imagine, thoughts like that often cause a downward spiral of self hatred, confusion, and terror. Many with OCD are so consumed with worry they find daily life difficult, even impossible.
Blog Intro
My name is Jessica Jones and this is my blog. Most of you have probably known someone who has a mental illness or heard of someone that does at some point in your life. The stigma surrounding such illnesses clouds the truth and makes life even more difficult for those who have them. Perhaps you rushed to a certain idea you have in your head about what a person with such an illness might be like. Crazy? Weird? I've heard them all.
OCD in particular seems to have a certain perception in the media as someone who is neat and orderly. Perhaps some of you think of it as a term used to describe people with such characteristics instead of thinking of it as an actual illness. I wouldn't blame you if you did, there is not enough people telling the truth about it. Well, I will try to do just that here. I am Jessica and I was diagnosed with OCD when I was seven years old.
OCD in particular seems to have a certain perception in the media as someone who is neat and orderly. Perhaps some of you think of it as a term used to describe people with such characteristics instead of thinking of it as an actual illness. I wouldn't blame you if you did, there is not enough people telling the truth about it. Well, I will try to do just that here. I am Jessica and I was diagnosed with OCD when I was seven years old.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)