"O.M.G. that picture frame isnt straight and its so annoying. I have such bad OCD."
"my place is SO perfect. im so OCD."
does anyone else HATE when those who dont actually suffer from OCD or a mental illness use it as a joke? i know i do.
as someone who studies developmental psychology in college, I can assure you that OCD is not just feeling the urge to straighten out the picture frame on the wall that happens to be crooked. OCD is a form of anxiety where people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, obsessions, or ideas that make them feel like they have to something over and over and over and over again. i know someone that will not leave their home without checking if the door is locked 67 times. yes. 67. not 65, not 68, but 67 times. it is an ILLNESS. their brain can not shrug off the fears of what could possibly happen if they dont do what they feel like they have to do.
when i was in middle school, i used to have an irrational fear of germs. i washed my hands until they would bleed. it got to the point where id have to go to the bathroom at least 3 times in one class period just to wash the germs off my hands. i hated it. it was so painful. this was when i was first getting on my anxiety medication. eventually, i got better... but i still suffer from a fear of germs. just not as bad. a few weekends ago i went to visit a friend with my boyfriend. he goes to a different college than us. as soon as i walked in, my anxiety levels raised LIKE CRAZY. then, i cleaned his whole apartment. i looked crazy. but i couldnt sit in a place where it felt just as dirty as chuck-e-cheese. sorry for all you chuck-e-cheese fans. grosssssss.
all in all, OCD is not just a hyper-organized desk. i wish people would stop using mental illnesses in sentences when they dont know what it actually feels like to suffer.
xo, a storied mind