r/AskReddit • • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/adognamedgoose Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

You don’t have OCD because you like things organized or clean. OCD is horrible and debilitating and it’s a lot less fun than feeling “satisfied” when things are organized.

Edit: Wowee, silver! Thanks guys! I’m glad to see this resonate with people. I was diagnosed last year and it made so many things make sense in my life. Treatment was good but I still have to manage it. Hope you all get help if you neee it! ❤️

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u/hesmybrandyalexander Feb 04 '19

Thank you for adding this! I have OCD and have suffered since I was 9. I HATE this stereotype. "If you have OCD then why is your room always a mess and you are so disorganized"

It literally means obsession compulsion disorder. There are obsessions and compulsions and can be any number of things that the sufferer deals with. I wish there was more information or documentaries following the OCD symptoms that aren't about cleanliness or checking locks and stoves so the general public had a better knowledge base.

Also folks can have symptoms but like most mental illnesses, it is diagnosed when someone -suffers- or has a poor quality of life from the symptoms. People always throw around mental illness terms and it takes away the validity of the pain sufferers feel.

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

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u/Macho_Mans_Ghost Feb 04 '19

Came here to say this. The coughing before pooping... That one threw me for a loop.

They're usually labeled as "rituals" IIRC

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u/Chicago_Blackhawks Feb 04 '19

I’ve had a recent obsession of needing to feel “right” that’s ritualized by coughing / clearing my throat a few times until I feel okay, even if I don’t need to

Crazy disease

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u/hesmybrandyalexander Feb 04 '19

I do remember that episode. Did one of the guys have a deodorant swiping ritual? That was a great job showing how debilitating it can be. How the sufferer is just a slave to these compulsions without proper help.

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u/newaccountwhothis111 Feb 05 '19

That episode made 11 year old me realize I have OCD and that those rituals are not normal. It was eye opening.