Debunking Myths: OCD Edition

Well hi there!

This is my first official blog post, and I appreciate you being here and taking the time to read my work. My goal with this blog is to provide psychoeducation, challenge stigma, and foster a place of acceptance and understanding.

OCD is a very misunderstood diagnosis. When someone mentions OCD, it's often met with comments such as "Well isn't everyone a little OCD?" or "I have OCD too, I love to organize and clean!"

This narrative, while it seems harmless, actually perpetuates the stigma against OCD. It supports the idea that OCD is a choice, and that people enjoy engaging in their compulsions. It creates feelings of shame and embarrassment, and can deter people from reaching out and seeking help out of fear they will be judged or misunderstood. In actuality, OCD is a debilitating disorder that creates high levels of distress and can greatly impact a person's functioning.

Let's debunk some OCD myths together:

Myth #1: Everyone is “a little OCD”

OCD is not a personality trait or quirk that “everyone has.” OCD is a mental health diagnosis that affects the lives and functioning of millions of people. To say that “everyone is a little OCD” minimizes and invalidates the person’s experience. It’s like saying “everyone is a litte diabetic” or “everyone is a little heart disease-y.” Are we though???

Myth #2: OCD is just about being clean and organized

While contamination and orderliness are themes, OCD is not restricted to just these subtypes. Many other themes exist as well. OCD can be about anything, but some common themes include:

»  Harm »  Relationship

»  Religious Scrupulosity »  Perfectionistic

»  Checking »  False memory

»  Existential »  Sexual Orientation

»  Suicidal »  Somatic

You get the idea.

Myth #3: Those with OCD are violent

No, having OCD does not make people more likely to be violent. This is one of the most harmful misconceptions there is about OCD. Intrusive thoughts are egodystonic, meaning they go against a person’s belief system, values, and how they see themselves as a person. They do not agree with the intrusive thoughts, and find them incredible distressing. Because of this, they try to avoid them and make them go away, not act on them. Intrusive thoughts are NOT the same as impulsive thoughts. A person can be aggressive and have an OCD diagnosis, but their aggression would be due to other factors, not their OCD.

Myth #4: People enjoy their compulsions

It’s common to hear someone say they are “sooo OCD” when they like to color-code or organize things. However, those with OCD feel driven to engage in their compulsions in order to make their discomfort go away, to make the intrusive thought/feeling go away, or to prevent something bad from happening. The OCD cycle is incredible distressing. There is no enjoyment during this process. If someone enjoys organizing, they are likely meticulous or detail-oriented, not “sooo OCD.”

Myth #5: OCD is untreatable

It is very possible for those with OCD to live full and happy lives. The research-supported, gold-standard treatment for OCD is Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP). It involves confronting one’s intrusive thoughts/images/feelings and not engaging in compulsions afterwards. This provides a learning opportunity to disprove the fear and increase one’s belief in their ability to do hard things without having to depend on compulsions. Medications, particularly SSRIs, can also be very helpful in minimizing one’s symptoms and better allowing someone to more fully engage in therapy.

Myth #6: People just need to stop worrying

OCD is more complex than just excessive worry and overthinking. OCD affects the brain in multiple ways (1):

»  Miscommunication with the frontal part of the brain & the deeper structures

»  Misfirings & sending the body into fight-or-flight

»  Imbalance of serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, & GABA  levels

»  Overactivity of the amygdala, thamalus, basal ganglia, orbitofrontal cortex, & anterior cingulate cortex 

It can be very easy to toss the word "OCD" around in light-hearted ways, especially when it's used in such ways on social media. The first steps to challenging the stigma around mental health, especially OCD, is to address misinformation and create a non-judgmental space that encourages people to talk about their stressors and ask for support.

Rooting for you always,

Julia

Sources

1. https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/what-causes-ocd/