More Than Just Washing Your Hands: The Truth Behind OCD

By Megan Robert

*****Disclaimer: I do not have OCD nor am I a psychology expert. While I have conducted thorough research while writing this piece, I do not claim to know everything and there may be some errors. If you find anything wrong please let us know at thedelphinews@gmail.com. If you think that you may have OCD please talk to your doctor or psychologist.*************

I like having pretty notes and an organized desk and a clean room. I don’t like it when something hangs awry, and my bookshelf is perfectly color-coordinated. But I do not have OCD. While these may certainly be some characteristics of OCD, there is much more to the mental illness than people think. A lot of the time, having OCD or other mental illnesses is romanticized in our culture. People think of OCD as a way to humble-brag about how neat and organized they are, or as a way to seem more relatable or get sympathy, when really it’s a severe disorder that affects people’s lives beyond just what people can see. It takes over people’s lives and goes far beyond the ritualistic hand washing that it’s often associated with. It is first and foremost a mental illness and the mental side of it is often overlooked.

There are primarily two parts to OCD - the obsessions and compulsions. The compulsions are the part that we most commonly associate with OCD - the handwashing, the arranging of things in symmetrical order, the rituals, etc. The obsessions are the intrusive thoughts and feelings that accompany OCD. People with OCD may have thoughts and fears about contamination, something happening to their family and friends, thoughts about self-harm, and other things. In order to relieve the anxiety they have about obsessions, people with OCD take part in the rituals as a way to reign in their obsessive thoughts and regain some sense of control. The problem is, these rituals are often meticulous and time-consuming and interfere with their daily life. It can cause them to be late for school or work, and despite them dealing with the consequences and knowing that their behavior is irrational, they are unable to stop or control their actions. It serves to them as a way to relieve the anxiety that comes with the intrusive thoughts they face on a day to day basis.

However, there’s a difference between someone with OCD and someone who may just be more meticulous. A neurotypical person might have a certain way of organizing their desk, because it helps make things easier for them. When something is out of place it may bother them, but they don’t experience any other thoughts about it. Someone with OCD may have a specific way of arranging a desk because it helps take their mind off their thoughts about their family dying. They may think that if their workspace isn’t organized exactly the way they want it at all times, then something may happen to someone or something they love. As you can see, the difference between being annoyed by something being out of place and being unable to control your actions for fear of sinister consequences is huge and they should not be confused.

So what are some of the treatments for OCD? One treatment is medication. The specific medications that are used to relieve OCD are called SRI’s or serotonin reuptake inhibitors. One of the causes of OCD is low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mood, appetite, sleep, and more. The absence of serotonin may be a cause of OCD, so to solve the problem, SRI’s help people with OCD better regulate their behaviors and regain control. Therapy is also another treatment for OCD. Therapists can help people with OCD reign in their compulsions and relieve their anxieties by talking through what causes their behaviors. In some extreme cases, people may also use psychotherapy, which purposefully exposes patients to their fears and anxieties to force them not to give into in their compulsions.

Mental illness in our culture can be perceived in one of two extremes. In some cases, mental health is treated as a sort of taboo topic, and people find themselves unable to talk about anything. On the other hand, mental illness is romanticized by portraying it as a superpower, until it’s perceived as a sort of secret club that everyone wants to claim to be a part of for increased popularity and sympathy from other people. Both ways are extremely damaging to the people who suffer from mental illnesses on a day to day basis. One makes it seem as though it's impossible for people to ask for help in dealing with their health, and another makes it seem as though the thing that they suffer from on a day to day basis is some kind of new fad. OCD is a serious mental illness that affects many people in their day to day life. It should not be used as a synonym for being neat or clean. Hopefully one day, people will be able to realize the difference.