13 Things People With OCD Want You To Know

Obsessive compulsive disorder, which affects approximately 1 percent of American adults in a given year, can cause debilitating physical and emotional symptoms. Yet many people treat it as a punchline rather than a medical condition. Experts say education is the best way to reduce the stigma around mental health conditions like OCD. So, we asked our HuffPost social communities to share what they wished everyone knew about the disorder in an effort to shine a light on the condition for others who may not understand. Check out some of their comment and email responses below. (Warning: This might be triggering for some with the condition.) 1. OCD is more than hand washing and cleanliness. “I wish people understood that saying someone is OCD to describe someone who likes a clean house is insulting and hurtful. We aren’t just freaks who organize their sock drawers all day. We are real people living real lives who have a constant loop of unwanted thoughts in our heads. A loop we can only learn to live with and one that will never go away. I WISH it was as easy as wanting a clean house.” ―Esra Aygun 2. It’s serious. “[OCD] is a real mental health condition, and is not a joke ... Until you have spent 30 minutes lining up shampoo bottles in the shower because if you don’t, your mom will be hit by a car, you have no idea what living with OCD is like.” ―Hannah Pemberton 3. It causes intense rumination. “It’s being...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news