Perspectives
OCD isn’t what you think it is. Just ask this former quarterback.
From Horizon Health News
Let’s get this straight: When your friend, who has started washing her hands a few extra times per day, tells you she’s “so OCD” about personal hygiene, the odds are she doesn’t really have OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The odds are that she’s being responsible in a time when handwashing can prevent her from getting sick.
True OCD could look more like this: Your friend is so worried about contamination that she may wash her hands 30 times a day. If she touches anything outside the home, she’ll wash with bleach. Grocery shopping or riding the subway provoke extreme anxiety. Spending hours a day on her handwashing routine prevents her from leaving her apartment or engaging in social relationships.
This example may seem extreme but not to the 1 in 40 U.S. adults who experience OCD over their lifetimes. A serious mental health condition, OCD has been named one of the top 10 leading causes of disability according to the World Health Organization. Read more here.