OCD needs to be talked about more.

Most the time when you hear someone out and about say “I have OCD hahah” they mean “oh I like things clean I’m a clean freak” “I’m so ocd omggg haaha” which in turn when someone who truly has ocd goes “I have ocd” it’s taken as “oh your a clean freak ur super organized I assume!” When all in reality it is a very debilitating condition. Now yes of course there are cleaning types of ocd, but it’s not in the same way people talk about it. And these stigmas around it have caused so many people to not know what ocd truly is, especially those who have it and therefore people just assume the thoughts they have are abnormal and their a monster, because ocd is not properly taught. this has led sooo many people waiting so long to get therapy or help for it because they don’t know what’s “wrong” with them, that and the fear of trying to get help and being misunderstood because of the stigmas around it. Not to be that person but I 10000% hate when people make jokes about ocd as they don’t know how truly awful and debilitating it is to live with it. OCD at certain degrees is considered a disability and you can file for that if it prevents you from work long enough. If that doesn’t show how bad ocd can be. As a story from me growing up with severe ocd, I did not receive help, I wasn’t sure for a long time it was ocd. My mom focused more on getting help for my brother, which he was diagnosed with ocd quote on quote “grown” out of it now, he used to excessively wash his hands, which is valid and still a trait of ocd but she prioritized that over the issues I had, I did say some of of my issues , not the extreme but I did mention some like the constantly checking the lock , having to do this or that or this will happen, and was just laughed at. I never grew out of it infact it got even more and more severe. I struggle now to even work, to function, and no one understands they say “just don’t think about it” or “just breathe or take some medicine” as if that will just work. I’m currently at risk of loosing my job and probly will. OCD is a CHRONIC illness, and doesn’t have a “cure” but can be managed and go into a sort of remission. “ Approximately 50% of people with OCD experience suicidal ideation, and about 13% attempt suicide in their lifetime “ “ people with ocd are 10 x higher risk of suicide “ OCD is debilitating, it’s consuming, it’s absolutely horrible to live with. It needs to be talked about more, it needs to be understood more. We are not monsters, we are not crazy, and we aren’t just “clean freaks” ocd can stem from biological, genetic, environmental, trauma, and in some cases can come from certain sicknesses. “people with OCD often have differences in the frontal cortex and subcortical structures. This includes inefficient communication between brain systems that detect errors and those that stop actions, leading to a "loop of wrongness". OCD should be taught more. Thank you for listening to my Ted talk - Sami <3 ❤️ we got this.