When I was 17(ish), I was diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). Now as a functioning adult in society, many people don't know this about me (A. Because I'm dealing with it, B. Because my severity is mild, and C. Because most people aren't around me enough to notice). I talk about this quite often, mostly to normalize OCD in my daily living because it's neurobiological, and to get people to recognize that I do have this disorder that DOES have a significant effect on my life.
Here are some things I (the girl with legit OCD) want you to know/recognize.
1. We Vary In Severity
Although those of us diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder do share similar functionings (symptoms) of the disorder itself, we all vary in our severity. I am considered a mild case, where there are some people who cannot make left turns, turn a door handle, leave a room without opening the door 20 times, etc. Remember that even though we do in fact share a diagnosis, we are not all the same.
2. It CAN affect our daily lives
As mentioned above, OCD can change the workings of someone's day. In order for me to leave a public bathroom, I must wash my hands for a very specific number of times before I can leave.
3. Teasing Us Is NOT cool
I have been teased more than I can count. Your teasing is not cool, and completely unnecessary. Not to mention, if you are the one that helped cause the need, that is even worse. I (we) cannot change myself (ourselves), do you understand? I cannot change my compulsive need to have things organized or arranged in a certain way, so when you mess that up and then laugh at me for rearranging it... that's seriously just cruel. This is coming from someone who thinks she's hilarious all on her own, so trust me, I can take a joke... but that is not a funny.
4. We did not do anything to cause this
Neurobiological. NEUROBIOLOGICAL. We literally have no control on what's going on. It is triggered if we already have a disposition for it. There's nothing I could have done differently that would have made it "go away."
5. Using OCD (as it was intended) for something else is ok - sometimes, and only sometimes.
Look, OCD is serious, and it's not ok to make jokes about it. However, being the crazy cat lady that I am, I can appreciate Obsessive Cat Disorder (does this mean I have them both? hah).
6. When someone says "I'm A Little OCD About [insert thing]"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. NO. STAHP. You are NOT OCD about [insert thing here]. Do not wish that upon yourself. I don't think you referring to your preference of shoes or your seating place at wherever constitutes you to use something that those of us with actual OCD were diagnosed with. Ultimately, you're being incredibly insensitive. Stahp that.
Look - we know (or at least I do) that you don't intentionally try to hurt us, but just recognize that we cannot help our differences. We cannot fix our idiosyncracies. We cannot make this better for you. We just need you to be willing to work with us, be willing to learn with us. We can't change this part of us, We are asking you to accept it.