There's this weird behavior associated with the term OCD. When people use it, they really don't use it correctly. OCD isn't actually always associated with cleanliness. And it's actually fairly offensive when someone says their OCD when really they're only organized or like to clean.

OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder, and there are many different forms of it. It's long-term and chronic, in which a person has uncontrollable reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that a person repeats over and over.

Obsessions are thoughts, urges and images that reoccur and can cause anxiety. Some common symptoms are fear of germs, aggressive thoughts toward others or yourself and having things in perfect order.

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person feels they need to do in response to an obsessive thought. Some common types are hand-washing/cleaning, counting and repeatedly checking things.

Now a lot of people double-check things, but those with OCD cannot control the thoughts or behaviors, don't get pleasure from doing the behaviors and experience problems in their daily lives.

I have a mild form of OCD, but it can sometimes flare up and get pretty bad to the point it interferes with my daily life. As someone with OCD, I want people to understand what it's really like to have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

My day begins the same every day. It is my routine and a ritual that I feel the need to do or my day feels off. It's weird that I have to do it the same way every day, but if I don't, I don't feel... right.

Every morning I wake up and turn my lights on three times. One, two, three. I put on my house shoes, grab my room key, and go to the bathroom. Once I'm back in my room, I check the weather on my phone twice. Based on the weather, I select my outfit, brush my teeth for two minutes, put on whatever makeup I want to wear, do my hair and check the weather a third time.

When I'm ready to go to class, I grab my backpack and check to make sure I have all my notebooks then put my keys and wallet in the smallest pocket in my backpack. My phone is the next thing I grab and then my headphones. Once all my stuff is in my backpack or hand, I leave the room and click my lights off three times. One, two, three.

I listen to certain music genres for every day of the week. Mondays are pop, Tuesdays are classic rock, Wednesdays are musicals/soundtracks, Thursdays are metal and Fridays are shuffled. As I walk to class, I count my steps. One, two, three. One, two, three.

Classes pass and each time I go to a new one, I count my steps. One, two, three. I eat lunch, I do homework, and I do my job all while counting. Everything is done with counting. I know how many steps it takes to get to the bathroom from my room, to the cafeteria, to the Union. One, two, three.

I'm a compulsive counter. I have to count, and I can't stop even when I want to. It helps me through a lot of the day. One, two, three. One, two, three.

But what happens when my OCD gets bad? That's when my obsession increases. I have obsessive thoughts and feel the need to clean, clean, clean.

I'm fortunate that my obsessive-compulsive disorder isn't that bad. But for those with stronger forms, OCD can ruin lives.

OCD can be manageable, but it's still difficult to live with. It's not a joke, and it's not something to say you have unless you really and truly have it.