The many faces of OCD

(Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder or compulsive obsessive personality)

A woman is walking down the street. She looks ahead and sees a person who looks sick. She immediately crosses the street and walks the rest of her way on the other side. She tells herself she did the right thing.

A man is passing a park and sees young children playing. He knows that he can never drive this way again because the next time he might hurt or rape one of them. He has never done this, and certainly would never desire to. It’s just those thoughts that keep circling in his head telling him he might.

A teenager spends over 3 hours in the shower because he never gets the washing procedure just right. Maybe he didn’t count to the correct number, or maybe he feels like he just didn’t wash that one spot enough and now he must start the process all over. He repeats the ritual until he is satisfied that it was completed correctly. Now he can get out after 3.5 hours. He tells himself that it was the necessary thing to do.

A woman drops her keys on the ground. She picks them up with one hand, being very careful not to touch anything else with that hand. She walks back into her garage where she has several cans of Lysol ready for situations just like this. This is her miracle worker. She proceeds to empty out a full can on the keys, her hand, and part of her arm in efforts to decontaminate. She hopes the car remote will still work after this, but she knows this is what must be done.

A man arrives late to work almost everyday. He knows his job could be in jeopardy, but he must make sure his home is secure. “Did I leave the toaster plugged in?” he says to himself. “I need to go back to unplug it, it might some how turn itself back on.” After he leaves for the second time he thinks “Oh no! Did I forget to lock the door now? I can’t remember I have to go back again.” This cycle repeats itself every day, but what else can he do? The thoughts are too strong.

These are only a few OCD effects, some minor examples of the horrifying faces of OCD or OCD symptoms. A disease that compels its victims to perform irrational rituals, rituals that only makes sense to the inflicted person. Most victims know they are not being sensible, but being sensible has nothing to do with it. The obsessive thoughts are so strong that it’s easier to give in to the OCD compulsion then it is to fight it. So, in this manner it makes more sense to the victim to go through the rituals just to clear out the unrelenting thoughts.

I use the word victim instead of sufferer, because if the person with OCD has family members, they are all sufferers. I should know, I’ve dealt with it for over 20 years. I use to think I was a victim, but only the inflicted person is a true victim, they are the ones that have to deal with the unending thoughts, the obsessive thinking. I didn’t have irrational thoughts, but somehow I felt I had to perform irrational rituals. Because of the requests from my wife to participate in efforts to ease her pain, I allowed myself to become a victim. I allowed our lifestyle to be built on an OCD foundation, and it was a strong foundation. In efforts to help my wife, I only helped this monster grow while her condition spiraled downwards out of control. I’ll tell you how…