“I have OCD. My shoes have to be arranged a certain way.”
“…it’s my OCD.”
You’ve probably heard someone say this or used this line yourself when washing your hands, organizing your personal space, or being bothered about how other people leave things lying around.
Suddenly, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is being tossed around casually, in place of organized, particular, detail-oriented, or meticulous. The problem is, real obsessive-compulsive disorder isn’t a personality trait or a love for orderliness. It is a mental health condition that needs clinical diagnosis.
Let’s try to understand the difference between everyday routines and obsessive-compulsive patterns.
OCD vs. Habits
Firstly, we must understand that habits are routines humans build to get through their daily lives. It requires little conscious thought because it is formed through repetition. OCD, on the other hand, is different in intensity. It can be exhausting and disruptive because it involves intrusive, distressing thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
A habit is usually by choice, possible to skip, not driven by fear, nor disruptive to daily life. OCD is not about being organized or neat. In fact, it is about anxiety and control, not vibes or aesthetics.
Mislabeling OCD
Why do people mislabel it Well, we have social media to thank for that. Content creators have made it slang for being a perfectionist. It became a regular term until it lost its meaning and the truth about the condition. When we mislabel habits as OCD, we undermine the daily experience of people living with it.
What are the 5 signs that you may have OCD?
Actually, it goes beyond constant cleanliness or handwashing.
The behavior is driven by fear and not choice. There’s a fear that something bad will happen if things aren’t a certain way. The threat is usually unrealistic.
You feel compelled, not motivated. Habits can be skipped, but OCD feels like a ritual that must be completed.
It eats up significant time. Imagine working in your home office space, and you spot a speck of dirt that you feel must be cleaned immediately. This can even be done repeatedly, derailing your routine.
The thoughts are intrusive. One of the most misunderstood aspects of this condition is the intrusive thoughts you can’t just shake off. It could be constant thoughts of doom for yourself or loved ones, fear of germs or contamination from harmless objects, or moral fears. They feel out of character and don’t align with you, but they linger.
It interferes with daily life. It affects their decision-making, work, relationships, and sleep, among many other instances. If a behavior is causing avoidance, an uncontrollable pattern, or emotional stress, it is no longer “just a habit.” Habits support your life. OCD restricts it.
According to a Mayo Clinic publication, OCD is characterized by obsession. This obsession leads to repetitive behaviors like
- Intrusive taboo thoughts
- The uncontrollable urge to organize and be orderly
- The fear of committing a sin or violating moral/ethical standards
- Checking rituals, like checking if the door is locked or if the cooker is still on, out of fear of burning the house.
- Reassurance seeking
SEE ALSO: Dealing With Depression and Anxiety as a Black Woman
It is important that we get the label right. Mislabeling will have us minimizing a serious condition, spreading misinformation, and making it harder for people living with it to be understood, and it can affect their treatment. It is treatable, and the most effective treatment is therapy like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
Until clinically diagnosed, instead of saying “I have OCD,” say:
“I like my things organized,” or “I’m very particular about this.”
Not every repeated behavior is OCD. But when you start to get anxiety or the compulsion to do something repeatedly, you might want to pay attention.
