Topic: OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Designed by: Leow Jia Wen, Jolene (20-E1)

Introduction: What is OCD?

A writer, David Adam, once said: “People who live with OCD drag a metal sea anchor around. Obsession is a break, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity, a mark of genius or an inconvenient side effect of some greater function.”

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined as a mental illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or sensations or the urge to do something over and over again. While people often mistake OCD as just being obsessively tidy and clean, it can have larger effects that can cause massive disruption to people with OCD. 

What are the Symptoms?

One core symptom of OCD is intrusive thoughts. Some symptoms related to obsession include repeated, persistent, and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. This could include fear of contamination or dirt, needing things orderly and symmetrical, and aggressive or unwanted thoughts. 

Furthermore, compulsive symptoms include repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety related to your obsessions, or to prevent something bad from happening. These include washing and cleaning, constant checking, following a strict routine and demanding reassurances.

Ways to Support Those with OCD

First of all, you need to learn to recognize the “warning signals” of OCD. Behavioural changes can be gradual, and some signals of it include the symptoms described above. Typically, people with OCD report that their symptoms get worse the more they are criticized or blamed as this generates more anxiety. It is essential that we learn to view these features as signals of OCD rather than personality traits. This way, we can aid our friends and family members in combating their symptoms. 

Secondly, it is important to modify your expectations of how they should act in order to support them. People with OCD consistently report that change of any kind can induce stress. It is often during these times that OCD symptoms tend to flare up. However, we can help to moderate stress by modifying our expectations of their improvement. We must remember to be patient and encouraging as slow, gradual improvement may be better if relapses can be prevented in the long run.

Thirdly, acknowledge all improvements. People with OCD often complain that family members are unable to understand what it takes to accomplish something, such as cutting down a shower by five minutes. Acknowledgment of these seemingly small accomplishments is a powerful tool that encourages them to keep trying. This allows them to know that their determination to get better is being recognized and this can be a powerful motivator.

Fourthly, create a positive environment. The more you can avoid personal criticism, the better. Try to learn about OCD as much as possible and do your best not to contribute to these compulsions. Calmly explain that the compulsions they have are symptoms of their OCD and that you will not assist in carrying them out because you want them to resist following these compulsions as well. Gang up on the OCD, not on each other!

Last but not least, keep communication clear and simple. Avoid lengthy explanations since the more you try to prove that the individual need not worry, the more they may try to disprove you, and many times, even the most sophisticated explanations won’t work. The goal, in this case, is to help them accept the uncertainty in life, not to act like those things do not exist.

What Not to Say

It may be hard to decide on what is the right thing to say to someone with OCD. Knowing how to support those dealing with this can be hard, and you may struggle to understand their experiences. It is good to be informed about what not to say to them, since saying something wrong may hurt their feelings and make them feel worse about themselves. Here is a list of things that should not be said:

1. "Don't worry, I am kind of OCD sometimes too."

While one may feel it is an empathetic response, it is likely to come off as insensitive to a person with OCD. While we might feel our repetitive or compulsive actions are ‘OCD’ in nature, it is not OCD. OCD, like most mental disorders, exists on a spectrum and it is difficult to put ourselves into the shoes of a person with OCD. Even two people with OCD may not have the same experience.

1.  “You should clean my house!”

This comment is insensitive and easily comes off as ignorant. It buys into the stereotype of OCD patients as germaphobes and clean freaks. One might feel it is a light hearted joke, but it is unlikely to come off as such. Some people with OCD might have compulsions and obsessions not related to cleaning, while some might have OCD related to cleaning, but ultimately, each person with OCDis different and we should treat them with the respect they deserve. 

      3.  “Just relax!”

While it may seem intuitive to try to calm a person who may seem too uptight or anxious, we must empathise with their struggles too and avoid reducing them to a small problem that can be solved by just relaxing. Asking them simply to relax downplays their continuous effort to combat their obsessions or compulsions

 4.  “Other people have it harder.”

There will always be others having it harder. This, however, does not mean one's predicament and effort to better this predicament is insignificant. We all have our own battles, and would always appreciate encouragement for our efforts. People with OCDare no different.

Conclusion

All in all, this is an important topic to learn about and be aware of. By learning more about mental health issues, being more open to discussions about such topics and supporting those dealing with such conditions, we can make the world a better place. Mental health may still be more of a taboo topic today but we can change this for the better!

References:

1. Ackerman, C. E. (2020, October 15). What Are Intrusive Thoughts in OCD & How to Get Rid Of Them? PositivePsychology.Com. https://positivepsychology.com/intrusive-thoughts/

1. What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? (n.d.). Web Starter Kit. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ocd/what-is-obsessive-compulsive-disorder

2. Helping someone who has OCD. (n.d.). Mind. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/for-friends-family/

3. International OCD Foundation. (2017, October 11). Living With Someone Who Has OCD.Guidelines for Family Members. https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-family-guidelines/

4. What Not to Say to Someone With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. (2015, May 21). US.News. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/05/21/what-not-to-say-to-someone-with-obsessive-compulsive-disorder

5. 9 David Adam Quotes on Explanation, The Man Who Couldn’t Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought and Inspirational - Quotes.pub. (n.d.). Quotes.Pub. https://quotes.pub/david-adam-quotes#:%7E:text=People%20who%20live%20with%20OCD%20drag%20a%20mental%20sea%20anchor,effect%20of%20some%20greater%20function.&text=No%20longer%20possessed%20by%20possessions,to%20become%20possessed%20by%20God.

6. Fields, L. (2003, February 7). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder#:%7E:text=Obsessive%2Dcompulsive%20disorder%20(OCD)%20is%20a%20mental%20illness%20that,nails%20or%20thinking%20negative%20thoughts.