4 Common Misconceptions About OCD

[@MartinDeHill]

Sprog's best poem: 'I have to sort my books!' she cried, With self-indulgent glee; With senseless, narcissistic pride: 'I'm just so OCD!' 'How random, guys!' I smiled and said, Then left without a peep - And washed my hands until they bled, And cried myself to sleep.

[@saravezelaj941]

Great comment!! What’s your ig?

[@CarolRitchie-dt5wb]

Oh my you have just hit the nail on the head with that..... Makes my blood boil when I hear people talking nonsense.

[@DragonOfTheSkies]

Yeah when I tell people I’m OCD they tend to respond with “oh yeah I’m OCD about blah blah...” and I have to tell them “no seriously I have crippling doctor-diagnosed OCD that messes with my daily life... you just like straightening bookshelves”

[@courtneysmith9807]

Nothing bothers me more than "I'm so OCD about ___!"

[@isilanes]

Yeah, I'm so OCD about that, too.

[@nameless6512]

Yes same, someone said "Im a little OCD about short pencils" so it pissed me off cause i have actual, diagnosed OCD. And thats not what it is.

[@kcwidman]

Having highly intrusive thoughts are also another “type” of OCD. If you get the same unwanted, irrational thoughts over and over again, even if you don’t have a compulsion to go along with it, it is still OCD. I get thoughts like these and I have to shake my head back and forth quickly for multiple seconds as a way to cope with it.

[@orchdork775]

Same haha

[@dingdong3508]

I would like more of these “ common misconceptions about-----“ maybe you could do one for sociopathy?

[@quinintheclouds]

or psychosis or ADHD or personality disorders and a bunch of other stuff!

[@imperium2na]

+

[@lerquian1970]

or being bipolar

[@IamMissPronounced]

I'd love an episode outlining the differences between personality disorders and anxiety disorders

[@jjsmith706]

They have a whole series called Crash Course: Psychology that answers all your questions re: "sociopathy" (antisocial personality disorder) and the difference between personality and anxiety disorders.

[@SheosMan117]

So, in programming terms, OCD is what happens if there's a loop inside of an if statement, with no break condition, or at least no major break.

[@Lucky10279]

SheosMan117 Yes, that's a good description.

[@codekillerz5392]

Thank you for making this video. It annoys me so much when people say they’re OCD when they’re not.

[@dutchik5107]

CodeKillerz hey people also say they are autistic when they stack something right. Or have adhd when they are happy, and therefore a bit hyper.

[@mignonhagemeijer3726]

CodeKillerz yeah... Seriously I reaalllly dislike that.... Saying your ocd because you colour code your pencils gives such a wrong impression of it... Like eventually people start saying "yeah you have ocd who cares" when someone actually has ocd.

[@111111222223]

But what are we supposed to say else? With OCD everyone knows what you mean, even if you don't actually have it. It's short and easy as well and as long as there isn't a short and easy alternative to OCD people will keep saying it.

[@dutchik5107]

Power puncher being a bit perfectionistic is the actual word. Ocd isn't..

[@111111222223]

The flamingsword That's actually a really good one, thanks for making me aware of it.

[@booksquirmy]

I just wrote a 8 page paper about OCD and its misconceptions. It's awesome to see some of the concepts I brought up in my paper appear here.

[@ellenr5568]

Great video. I suffered from OCD but it presented in repetitive behaviours and checking, sometimes up to three hours, or bad things will happen to my family. It’s nice to an informative video exploring OCD more deeply and clarifying myths and misconceptions:)

[@LithiumThiefMusic]

Thank you so much for making this, people have so many misconceptions about OCD. I have OCD, but people are always skeptical when I tell them that because my place is a mess. They don't understand that there are different kinds; mine manifests as casadastraphobia and having to do repetitive checking rituals before I leave my apartment.

[@a_Minion_of_Soros]

How does that phobia work? I mean what is the mental process? I looked it up, and I'd like to understand.

[@dave5194]

Bigus Dickus think of it like this. You have this gnawing thought that you can't get rid of. Only way to get rid of this awful feeling is by doing a ritual (series of repeated steps). If you don't you get withdrawal.

[@IamMissPronounced]

Exactly! Anxiety disorders affect every person differently

[@a_Minion_of_Soros]

casadastraphobia: an irrational or pathological fear of falling into the sky. I asked specifically about that.

[@ItsCelestia.]

I too have to live with OCD. The general media needs to have a better understanding of what OCD means and how it impacts your lifestyle. Spending hours doing one small homework assignment. Erasing all your notes because they had the the slightest slant. Splitting relationships because a friend maybe broke your pencil or went a little bit to far when joking around with you so burst out screaming then sobbing. All these are issues that make my daily routine extremely challenging even painful. I have OCD and would like to stand up with my community to show the world that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not an adjective not something to be thrown around. OCD is a shadow that fallows a sliver of the world's population around in a box of hardships.

[@monsterenergydrink8562]

I love this! You guys should do bipolar disorder bc I hear sooo many people say they’re bipolar when they really aren’t

[@quinintheclouds]

and people calling others bipolar when they definitely aren't :P If they do this I really hope they include Bipolar II as well!

[@TreespeakerOfTheLand]

They did so just this week :)

[@solarflare157]

I have a word for those that consider themselves 'a bit OCD' Perfectionist I am a perfectionist

[@SuviTuuliAllan]

Maladaptive perfectionism? Sounds kinda like OCPD.

[@IamMissPronounced]

most people who call themselves OCD and find their tendency to be perfectionistic to be debilitating, you may be suffering from OCPD

[@Laura-qp9iw]

I think it is also true that anyone can be obsessive about somethings or slightly compulsive with some things but that doesn't mean you have OCD. But you're definitely right, there are many other words we can use that don't spread misinformation.

[@WouterCloetens]

You failed to punctuate the end of your sentences. So, please do not state “I am a perfectionist,” even when you are projecting that statement on someone else. It triggers my grammar OC... Uh, sorry. It triggers my... perfectionism?

[@GizmosMonster]

@Wouter Cloetens unless that's pleases the person.. as you can see each line start with a capital letter, and there are no " . " at the end of any of the sentences. Some people would call me a perfectionist or that i have "a little ocd", but it only applies to 3-4 things, and i live in the messiest of environments. But certain things should be a certain way.

[@LaminaUmbrarum]

I have to sort my books!' she cried, With self-indulgent glee; With senseless, narcissistic pride: 'I'm just so OCD!' 'How random, guys!' I smiled and said, Then left without a peep - And washed my hands until they bled, And cried myself to sleep. Source: www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/29qfnm/what_common_misconceptions_really_irk_you/cinik24/

[@greensteve9307]

Wow, that is beautiful.

[@lijmoo]

Thank you for helping to spread the message that "a bit OCD" needs to be given the boot! I've had OCD for about 7 years and maybe you guys could do another video about OCD, only because there is so much more to explain (understand you can't make a video for longer). But another big aspect of OCD is the internal manifestations it takes, not just the outward ones; hand washing, light flicking, etc. Sufferers do mental checking, for example: did I just think that, what does that mean, have I thought this before... Then try and counter think an obsession (a compulsion) with a "positive" thought. The whole thing then just becomes this spiral of mental obsession and mental compulsion. Also, it's great to highlight that deep brain treatment, but to make the jump from CBT to an "extreme" treatment, doesn't help educate other talking therapies like counseling, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or psychotherapy. There's probably 100s of misconceptions about OCD, keep adding to it. Love this channel. Peace!

[@IamMissPronounced]

Liam Moore i'd love a video showing the more in-depth treatments for OCD, but a lot of similar internal symptoms manifest in people with other anxiety disorders too (mental checks, excessive thought patterns, etc)

[@DD-zu1bn]

i love this! i had a huge problem with some of these things being left. Especially with leaving out the fact that you can have so many mental rituals

[@DD-zu1bn]

You should really look into Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). A book called "Getting Control" has a lot of helpful information.

[@Naiadryade]

+

[@simonantonehie6392]

I'm diagnosed with OCD and I'm a really messy person, my bedroom is messy and any space I occupie for a long space of time becomes messy. I get so angry when people say they are OCD because they're tidy. I'm better then I was (thanks to CBT which I highly recommend) but I frequently make myself late for work because I have to constantly check things like the doors are shut, I didn't accidentally turn on the gas, I didn't accidentally turn on the tumble dryer with the cat trapped inside, things like that. And even after checking multiple times and dragging myself away because I'm late I'll spend the day distressed that I'll come home to find the house has burned down and all our pets are dead and it's my fault. With covid I constantly feel like, even though I'm testing negative, I actually have covid and because I've touched a door handle or the bus stop someone who is medically vunrable is going to come along and touch the same thing as me and die and it's all my fault. This makes me scrub my hands and constantly use hand sanitizer past the normal amount so my skin is damaged. Even with help I'm still struggling and it's so upsetting that it's something socially joked about. People have told me I can't have OCD because I'm messy because they think its all about tidying and being clean.

[@brettalexander119]

If my OCD was only based on a stereotype of needing to clean then my life would be so much easier 😅

[@virglibrsaglove]

I have actually been somewhere between subclinical and clinical OCD at times in my life. A lot of my life, actually. I did overcome most of it. But I still have areas in my life that are a little more extreme than most people. Personally, I find it to be tension releasing to lightheartedly joke about being OCD about those areas. For me, it helps me to avoid becoming full blown OCD about it. Or letting my tendency to obsess over things to become another concern to obsess over. Sometimes being a little more light-hearted about something real can be a good thing. At least in this case for me it is.

[@ryanliberty]

Great list! Something I'd add is that compulsions don't have to be physical or behavioral, as seen in "Pure OCD". We can compulsively think about our thoughts, somersaulting over them in loops without anyone ever seeing it on the outside, except they might notice anxiety.

[@LulitaInPita]

Ryan Liberty / Mental Health as in intrusive thoughts?

[@ryanliberty]

It's more than just intrusive thoughts. An intrusive thought might start it but the OCD is thinking about the thought and what it means and how to stop it and if people can tell and wondering if you've thought this before and said it out loud and will you do whatever the thought is etc. etc.

[@marcalexus89]

Yes! Whenever I have an intrusive thought, I have to try and summon up a positive thought to neutralize it; this has become a sort of compulsive thinking process with me.

[@MissPersephoneParker]

The obsessive thoughts are the worst part for me. I always tell people that I wish it was just straightening picture frames, because the thoughts are so upsetting.

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

I have this form of ocd. Compulsions are still there except they’re mental things like for me I imagine I’m playing my saxophone and imagine how different melodies would be played. It’s basically something, anything to break the tension of the horrific thoughts that go through my head when I’m being obsessional.

[@You_work_tomorrow]

My mom jokes that she has OCD but I’m genuinely concerned she does, her mood changes dramatically if the house is not clean and I mean dramatically. She can have the best day ever but if there’s one paper out of place she gets mad and sometimes I’ve seen her crying when her room is a mess. She brushed her mouth 3 times in the morning, flosses thrice around lunch and 3 more times at night? It’s not impairing her day to day life, but she losses all functionality till she thinks everything is clean

[@Lucky10279]

Jeff Peng Suggest she sees a therapist. There is clearly something wrong.

[@SaraAnneMiller]

She may or may not have OCD, but something is clearly affecting her. I suggest contacting a mental health professional.

[@IamMissPronounced]

I'm not a psychiatrist but I've taken mental health first aid, and that sounds like it could be OCPD. Please try and get her to see a doctor

[@You_work_tomorrow]

TimeForAReview I do cooking and Laundry, my brother does dishes and takes out trash, my sister makes everyone’s beds, we were raised very well by our mom, she just takes things to far, like once she repainted the walls cause one of my siblings got a handprint on the wall and she said it would put the color off

[@ssatva]

There is also "primarily obsessional OCD" sometimes called Pure-O, which is causes a sufferer to have the obsessions but without a simple relief mechanism. The result is often long periods of withdrawal, and serious depression and anxiety. This is also little understood by the public, and even some classic OCD sufferers can experience this at times. This condition is also sometimes abbreviated POCD (and was when I first learned about it), but this acronym has been co-opted by a, from what I've seen clinically dubious, 'pedophilia OCD'. And that stuff comes up in searches, rather than the clinically established form.

[@orchdork775]

I think it might actually be that pocd is when the compulsion is to obsess about the obsessions. For me, I have to play out complex situations in my head relating to the obsession, and go through every possible thing that could go wrong. It's hard to stop halfway through, and I need to actually "finish" the pretend situation before I can move on to something else. Unfortunately, many of these situations are really dark and scary/disturbing, which is what makes it so unpleasant. I initially thought I had pocd, but then my therapist helped me realize that I did have compulsions, and they were just in my head. I also have had some external compulsions before about checking, but that's before I got treatment.

[@MrShadow12622]

You're a good host, you are clear and knowledgeable

[@Rosymaple]

I have OCD and I have a whole system in my head where I have to follow what my brain tells me to do ,but I have a certain number of times I can stop my self every day. When I stop my self I have repetedly say J.K. Rowling in my head for 30 seconds and then I can go about my day. Yes this is real.

[@crocsqueen1474]

Spread this far and wide! I went undiagnosed and suffered for 16-17 years before I was able to get proper help. Society's misconceptions made me think I didn't have OCD until I sat down in health class and learned what it ACTUALLY WAS. The one time the education system didnt fail me.

[@gabrielleparsley7137]

Thanks for giving me the tools and information to understand things that I lacked, so that I can better understand ocd. Like seriously.

[@LightningSe7en]

This is what these videos are for.

[@jynxkizs]

People get confused with OCPD too.

[@jjsmith706]

This is something that needs to be mentioned in every video about OCD. I don't know why no one does.

[@ObjectsInMotion]

OCPD? I didn't know people had so many problems with the Oklahoma City police department.

[@LulitaInPita]

Anthony Khodanian 😂

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

I feel bad for asking this. But can you make it more clear for me?

[@jynxkizs]

iocdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/OCPD-Fact-Sheet.pdf

[@LilMissDiscord]

THANK YOU! I have OCD, first diagnosed when I was a kid, and the diagnosis has been reconfirmed by 4 psychologists, a psychiatrist and my current GP, all over the course of almost 2 decades. I've spent a lot of time being frustrated to the point of tears with how OCD is thought of by others. While I don't tend to be bothered by people saying things like, "I'm soo OCD" (I just roll my eyes), feeling like I need to justify OCD to people because mine is either not how they've seen it portrayed in the media or, is under control (thanks to CBT and medication), has been so incredibly upsetting. I actually think I mentioned this when I took the SciShow survey and I have to say that I'm really thrilled by this episode, and by SciShow Psych in general. Thanks so much!

[@claudiacook619]

thank you so much for this, it annoys me so much when people say they have OCD or they're 'a little OCD' because they like their desk in order, or they like to keep on top of their washing up. When i was at my worst, my obsessions and compulsions took up all of my time, i had to count everything i did- steps, words, chews, everything.. i couldnt focus on anything but the constant fear of bad things happening if i lost count, or if i didnt wash my hands properly, or whatever other ritual i had to perform, or contamination. It took months of inpatient treatment (not just for OCD but other mental health issues too), CBT, DBT, Psychotherapy, to get back to a stage where i could function as a human. it's such a debilitating illness, i wish people wouldnt joke about it :/ great vid

[@andrewn8002]

As some one with Tourette Syndrome, I can say without a doubt that OCD isn't just about cleaning and being neat. When I get nervous, I have to touch things a number of times, then repeating it over and over in quick succession just to satisfy myself. Otherwise my anxiety will sky-rocket and that's not good for me, the Tourette Syndrome, or headaches; which I get constantly as a result of head tics. 😫

[@Nick-wv4kg]

I HATE it when people say "You have OCD" or something like that... *it's so ignorant*

[@nekotato4581]

Can you do a video on eating disorders? c:

[@mme.veronica735]

YES! Set more misconceptions straight!

[@a_Minion_of_Soros]

Yeah! I'd totally eat that all up!

[@melissas3017]

I have trichotillomania. I pull out my eyelashes when I'm stressed or anxious. Some articles say its a mild case of OCD. I don't know how to stop.

[@Lucky10279]

Talk to your doctor. You should see a therapist or counselor who is trained to help people overcome compulsions. In the meantime, you might try replacing the behavior with something harmless.

[@melissas3017]

I'm planning on getting glasses. My mother doesn't think it's a big deal, so she refuses to take me to the doctor.

[@wervampz]

Try and get therapy, but some tips I've picked up to help stop doing it is doing things like put a bandaid on your thumb, as it make it more difficult to pull out the hair. Cutting down you nails too, especially with eyelashes helps to not get a good grip on it.

[@gogo311]

Me too. I have half of my forearm hair picked because of that. Not fun.

[@theformlessmist]

Have you tried getting a fidget cube? I just got one and so far it’s really helping.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Kind of like how being a different person depending on who you are with doesn't mean you're bipolar?

[@r3d0c]

is that a stereotype about bipolar? never heard of it

[@rdizzy1]

That doesn't even relate to what bipolar is to begin with.

[@quinintheclouds]

I've heard that one lol. I've also heard people say that quick mood changes make you bipolar... but bipolar mood changes are reeeeallly slow, even if you have rapid-cycling, the fastest it changes is usually a couple weeks, but many have it over periods of several months. So like... rapid mood changes day-to-day might be something else (BPD, irritable anxiety/depression, etc)

[@AnnoyingAsianWitch]

Exactly! I also hear about mania misunderstood as "happy" and in reality, I have suicidal thoughts while manic because I couldn't think or sleep.

[@warriorcatskid003]

And how being a bit sad doesn’t make you depressed

[@DoubleL11862]

"Sorry, I'm a little OCD" "I know what you mean, I'm a little Schizophrenic"

[@themerus9421]

I just realized how important good science-channels as SciShow are to me, thank you a lot.

[@brennanshook7101]

thank you Scishow for another awesome episode and an extra special thanks to our lovely host! keep up the amazing work.

[@KillerPigMonkey]

As someone who was diagnosed young with severe OCD and has grown up coping with it, I appreciate this video. The bottom of this message is my personal OCD, read if you want or not. Mostly I would say a large peeve of mine is people downplaying OCD as if it weren't a life altering disorder. I often get the response when I admit having OCD. "Oh, me too!" Followed by an explanation of the quirks they have that led them to self diagnose themselves. And from then on the perception of my disorder is that it is somehow just like their quirks, just maybe a little worse. I feel like there is a lot that wasn't touched on in this video, mostly related to the obsessive area of the disorder and how sometimes the obsession and compulsion don't have to be as literal as washing hands or flipping switches. My personal type of OCD has to do with uncontrollable repeating random thoughts (like "the sky is blue") and my compulsions are typically as small as ticks or as big as having to either vocalize my thoughts aggressively or start jumping for no reason. The rituals I have to do typically don't have to much of a reason or correlation with the obsessive thought. Thanks for reading those that did.

[@alexparadise6121]

Thank you for making this. A close family member of mine had severe OCD in the form of checking habits. Before we could ever leave the house, he would check each appliance, including the stove and refrigerator, to make sure they were unplugged. He took the batteries out of things, locked and unlocked every door in the house, and then got back into the car, only to repeat the cycle a dozen more times before we could go down the street to the grocery store. He got treatment in terms of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, and I am happy to say that while he still has a couple little "ticks" he is doing much better now. I appreciate you showing how this is a real mental illness, and discouraging people from joking about it self righteously.

[@firefoxwaffles5357]

Thank you for constantly working to spread the truth and dispel myths about mental illnesses! I always get so frustrated hearing people say things like "Ugh I'm so OCD if I see how dirty the room is I get SOOOOO anxious" , "My ex was so bipolar, she'd get mad and then she'd be happy she was crazy", or "I missed out on the tickets for a show I wanted to go to, I could kill myself right now!" Seriously? Not funny.

[@izzemk4336]

Thank you for making this. As someone who has had CBT and taken meds for over 5 years to try to control my OCD, I find it really frustrating when someone complains that they are "a little OCD." Although I still have issues correcting people without getting too angry, this might be a good step by sharing on facebook or showing this to some of my friends. So yeah, THANK YOU :)

[@stax6092]

Thank you for tackling this, I have OCD, and most people don't understand how much of a nightmare it can be. I am very grateful that you have clarified it for people.

[@TheEnding247]

This video does a great job explaining the misconceptions surrounding OCD. I have OCD (yes i got checked out by a doctor and therapist to make sure it was legit) and it runs in my family. I get really pissed when people say “Oh, it’s just my OCD” or “I am so OCD about this”. My grandmother became bedridden because of her OCD, she just gave up let it control her life. As a child my mom had to watch her mother wash her hands until they bled. She thought there was a deadly disease in the garage and she would constantly try to keep up the illusion of cleanliness even though she was a hoarder and lived in filth. OCD is very serious and it can have detrimental effects. So when someone sees something out of place and says “I am OCD” I confront them and try to explain how they are wrong on so many levels.

[@stevencampbell7394]

i actually have moderate to severe ocd and have had it since i was around 10... so over 15 years ago my ocd is actually so bad that i cant clean regularly or organize like i would like to these stupid misconceptions are hurtful AND you cant always correct everyone (like im not gonna get into my mental health history when getting a manicure, etc.)

[@aceofacez10]

Im always glad to see videos that portray OCD with more clarity. I’ve been battling with it for a third of my lifetime at this point

[@thevoid8948]

I wish y'all would have talked about ERP. It's currently considered the gold standard of OCD treatment.

[@Naiadryade]

I have OCD, but it doesn't *quite* fall into one of those 4 categories. This is part of why it took around 3 years with a psychiatrist before she had a lightbulb moment and diagnosed my weird anxiety disorder as OCD. The closest category to what my brain does is "checking"... I am a perfectionist about learning and creating. It is almost always debilitating. I am constantly filled with doubt and regret about how long it takes me to do things. I live in fear of the process. Professors say "this is one of the most thoughtful, complex and well-developed papers in the class. I'm sorry it took you all semester to write it." 25% of me swells with pride at my depth of thinking; the other 75% screams "I could have gone so much deeper with it if I had finished the readings on time and written the paper when it was due!"

[@acmulhern]

Thank you for making this video, OCD is not what most people think it is. I have OCD and will obsess over getting one particular thing clean, like spending 3 hours cleaning the toaster, while the rest of my home stays messy. When I tell people that I have OCD and they see my messy home they say things like "not OCD enough", which is very frustrating. They're just making a joke but it comes from this popular misinformation about the disorder and it just makes you feel even more anxious about your mess.

[@Ristro44]

I think my biggest misconception was that people just do it like a nervous tick in that they dont know why they're doing it they just need to. I didnt know they were connected to thoughts and fears irl that can be potentually be managed. Its nice that we're getting to know these things.

[@barnyardhouse]

Thanks for making this ❤️

[@luanamoonlight3068]

I am very Obsessive about the way my Clothespins are used, I have 4 colors, yellow, green, blue and red and in exactly that order they need to be used, I can't missmatch them, I can't use the colors at random, my Husband doesn't care about it and just hangs the clothes, causing me to actually go and sort the pins because I can't deal with the messy colors. Also all my things have their spot, they NEED to be on that spot or I can't find them, even if it's just off for a couple of centimeters, I can't find something, highly annoying.

[@kingdollop-head743]

Thank you a lot for spreading this knowledge. I'm sick of people joking about my illness

[@pynkfreud]

I would include Pure O(bsession) in your lists of "behaviors." This consists of symptoms such as being afraid of hurting others with your thoughts, or compulsively imagining worst possible scenarios, like sudden fears of hitting someone with your car, or "what if I?" Often, people with these anxiety-provoking and sometimes paralyzing thought compulsions don't realize they have OCD.

[@julian540]

Flipping the light switch is so Charlie won't die.

[@puroboludeo1]

What about Pure-O OCD? Why is it that people are less aware of it than they are about “normal” OCD? Is it because of the lack of visible, non-mental, compulsions?

[@Waterflame]

I have ADHD with OCD tendencies, and I am very happy that this video was made. I can now show it to people who don't understand why I get annoyed when someone says something to the effect of "that triggers my OCD" when something isn't symmetrical or a jar of M&Ms has one red one in with the green ones. It's not funny, it's not a joke, and it's not something to want to have. Thank you for making this video, and having it be so concise in its information.

[@Artifying]

I've had lifelong OCD that manifested itself when I was only 6 years old. Although I am outspoken about my other illnesses (clinical depression, anxiety, and narcolepsy to name a few) OCD has always been an area of shame for me. Most of my friends don't know I have OCD for fear of ostracization due to my compulsions. Thanks for making this video. I really hope people stop using it as a dysphemism for liking things tidy.

[@MonicaElysia16]

Whenever anyone tells me they are 'a little OCD about', I always ask what type, as mine is time and place focused. They usually realise they've been an idiot then.

[@snowwonder9814]

I've dealt with minor OCD for a most of my life, but didn't know it. I'd just describe myself as "illogically paranoid" and "quirky." However, when my dad suddenly died while I was in high school, my OCD became unbearable and I realized something was very wrong, but not what. It was then that I watched a video called something like "you don't have OCD and here's why." I knew OCD wasn't what people portrayed, but I had no idea I had it. The video described me perfectly. Suddenly it made sense why I couldn't sleep because I had to keep getting up and checking the door was locked 10-20 times a night, and why I kept emailing myself my work so I'd have multiple backups even when I wanted to just go to sleep, or why I had to have my door cracked just right to relax and not feel super on edge to get work done or sleep, or why I washed my hands too much causing them to dry out and bleed. Simply knowing what it was allowed me to gradually tackle it, and conquer it mostly. I'm still a bit OCD, just not to the point of serious stress and interference in my life anymore. The obsession/mental aspect of it has gotten especially better. I'm not kept up by fear of horrible things happening to me and my friends and family and self doubt as much anymore. Now the compulsions are much less frequent and tied more to general anxiety than specific dark fears and negative thoughts. I used to obsessively worry about my house burning down, my loved ones dying in car crashes, my house being robbed by an armed robber, or everyone I know secretly disliking me, which is what I used to think about. Disclaimer - I have not been diagnosed by a professional, but that's because they're expensive, and others in my family need professional help more. I have been told I have anxiety issues by my doctor, which I don't doubt and I'm fairly certain I had a problem with legitimate OCD.

[@Mtz2604]

I'm deeply grateful for this video, I don't suffer from OCD but it makes me understand better other people's mental state and respect them. I do have other things like chronical depression (which I follow a treatment for), but is always good to educate ourselves about mental health and learn to be tolerant.

[@Joe-gv1dr]

I am ashamed to say I was one of those "a bit ocd" people, good thing I watched this video

[@jenaepeterson]

This helps explain why I’d constantly fix my hair but never feel like it’s perfect so I did it so much in school and during class i got made fun of and was told I was vain..I still do it but it’s not as bad anymore.

[@mrpeanutbars]

I LOVE this video! I have a friend who says stuff like "Ah, that's just my OCD" and won't listen to me when I try to explain it. Now I'll just send him this video!

[@kittylover3597]

Honestly I check the every lock to make sure its locked, and it takes me like 5 mins to stop shaking the front door handle and leave in the morning.

[@blackkittyfreak]

You forgot to talk about the Primarily Obsessional variant, which can be almost as bad as the typical Primarily Compulsive variant, but isn't as easy to diagnose because the symptoms are mostly internal. With Primarily Obsessional OCD, I have very few compulsions, but I'm constantly assaulted by disgusting and/or violent thoughts and images that I am horrified by and have no control over. It's like someone is trying to torture me by beaming the thoughts into my mind from outside.

[@cailynrossiter5569]

I love these kinds of videos and you guys do them really well. Have you ever thought of doing one for ADHD? I have a lot of people in my life who are like “wow class was so boring , I couldn’t focus at all, I’m so ADD!” Or “I’ve had 3 coffees today and now I’m hyper! It’s like ADHD!”

[@Eric-mf7eo]

Thank you for making this video. I have diagnosed OCD and it saddens me that very few people know what it truly is.

[@FiniteAtticus]

Thanks for this. CBT saved me from the worsening OCD symptoms I suffered for years.

[@michaell4235]

Excellent clarification. Thanks so much for covering this topic.

[@RisqueBisquet]

My ex had clinical OCD, and I learned a lot about it! His obsession was 'cleaning', but what I didn't realize at first was that "clean" in this case doesn't mean "hygienic". It's more like things had to be 'spiritually clean'. He knew things were not physically dirty, but they hadn't met his criteria for being "clean". Also a large part of OCD is simply repetitive thoughts - getting trapped in the same cycles of logic for hours at a time. He's a lot better now than when I first met him. In the end, lots of talking, care and just being there helped more than his medication.

[@owenw.1643]

i've been diagnosed with ocd and experienced so many of the behaviors mentioned in this video.... i tend to forget it's not normal to wash your hands for an hour and for them to still not feel clean

[@sofiaramirez8968]

I had ocd about six months ago really severe, since I am medicated now it has stopped. I had many obsessive thoughts every day every minute and every second of the day. it was hell. I couldn't sleep at night because my ocd would get worse at night when I had time to think. in the day I would try to distract myself to not think. my obsessive thoughts would mainly be of guilt and thinking everything I was doing was wrong or imperfect. perfection was my goal always. I would beat myself up for the smallest things and the thoughts would not leave my mind. I would cry for hours hoping the tears would wash away my thoughts, but nothing got better. I got help and when I started feeling better I realized life was beautiful and I know it sounds corny as hell but please get help if you are feeling this way. it is not weak to get help. this is my story.

[@janaistudio]

Thank you for this. I have OCD and when people say that im lying because I dont wash my hands 1000 times and im not always clean. Its hard to explain to people what OCD actually is. Mine is obessive thoughts that cripple my ablility to function on a healthy level. And I havent found my 'light switch' comfort. To the point where I wouldent go out with my kids because I was scared somthing would happe.. every time. Its more than just obsessive cleaning. It really does bother me that its turned into a 'trend' to be OCD

[@GraceAxelrod]

When I was in high school, I was diagnosed with depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD, but I always thought I had OCD because I have a lot of its symptoms...but I have a lot of symptoms from various anxiety disorders (hence the generalized anxiety). After I graduated high school, I was diagnosed with OCPD...which explains a lot. Can you Scishow Psych please do an episode on OCPD? I think it would be a helpful resource for people.

[@elskabee]

Important additions: OCD doesn't have to involve compulsions at all & OCD can be about more than cleaning, ordering, or superstitions, it can also be about general thought spirals and worries of many many different things (e.g. relationships, sexuality, existentialism, contamination and more)

[@TheRainydayvideo]

I feel that OCD used to effect me when I was much younger. When I'm anxious it comes out more but I've gotten better at dealing with it.

[@nope9745]

TheRainydayvideo That’s how I was when I was younger and untreated with my anxiety. I was so paranoid with the doors. I still have to check everything when it comes to something they could create a fire or a break in. Even after I see it’s locked or unplugged, it doesn’t connect and I still need to check

[@maggiee639]

For me it was at its worst when I was little. I’m medicated now so it only crops up randomly

[@TheRainydayvideo]

no pe I still do that as well but only when I feel a certain way, it's so strange that one day I can feel totally confident the door is locked and other days I can't believe I have locked it.

[@TheOctoberOwl]

TheRainydayvideo ive heard this is common! I had fits of OCD as a child, and unfortunately it HAS come up again in adulthood. Not that yours will, but you might not just be imagining things about your childhood

[@frozty9643]

I always have to wash my hands two or three times only because I never feel like my hands are clean.

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

I was diagnosed with ocd about 3 years ago. Mine is predominantly obsessional. I still have a long way in treatment to go but I’ve already come so far in 3 years. It was hard at first to have hope that I would get better. I still struggle some days (or weeks and months).

[@ryanhollaus8574]

I think clearing misconceptions like this are really important for the field and just for the general public's understanding of mental illness. I would also really like to see some content about the term "Psycho" and how people use it as a term meaning someone who is irrational or "crazy".

[@kaloy9568]

I once have this weird thing that I did when I was 13, whenever I go inside a room, I will go out and in for 5 times and touch the doorknob for 5 times. What I did is I kinda manipulated myself, before I go to the bedroom, I would just touch the outside floor for 5 times before going in or would take a picture or write down on a piece of paper that I already locked the door. I still have some symptoms but I'm glad the worst ones is gone

[@bobbygirl5092]

Weed helped me omg it calmed me down so much.

[@chapachuu]

A family member of mine has mental illness and gets up in arms about mental health awareness. They then proceed to claim they have OCD because they don't like clutter. I had OCD when I was younger and I studied psychology, so I know what it is and what it isn't. I proceeded to tell that relative that they don't have OCD and that they are doing what they don't like other people doing in regards to their mental illness. They flipped out and still don't talk to me. So yeah, mental health awareness is definitely lacking, even to others who have experience with it. It's great to see an accurate representation of mental illnesses, so thanks for the video!

[@corebroth8793]

I’m on Zoloft for ocd. Mine was I had to do everything 4 times. Examples: footsteps, bites, chews, blinks, breaths, and small movements. It took over my life and I couldn’t focus on anything. I was miserable.

[@SayHelloHelli]

I don't have OCD but I used to check the lock on my bedroom door nearly constantly and I got anxious if I went to long without making sure it was locked. I don't do it anymore because I don't live with my violent brother anymore. It was a fear response, not ocd.

[@kevinwg02]

I kinda already knew all of that but still a good video, it reminds me of the videos about ADHD

[@ChildoftheNth]

I was actually diagnosed around a year ago. And i can say a lot of the things I did i thought were normal.Brushing my teeth, patterns, cracks, gener, words, hoarding. I am clinically diagnosed but mine isnt extremely severe. but I also have extreme anxiety and depression. And im on multiple meds. It helps but everything is still very much there.

[@chantevandyk7155]

I've got an OCD called trichitillomania that causes me to pull the hairs on my eyebrows and eyelashes out. I've tried to stop but to no avail and it's been going on for six years. It's really hard that OCD isn't being taken seriously, especially when I try to explain to others what it is, and they don't believe me. I think more people should become aware of this.

[@weebs1051]

Yeah its nothing like the stereotypes man. I cant even be around kids or small dogs sometimes because if its bad that day ill get constant urges to stomp on them, taking showers/going to the washroom is a nightmare because of my compulsions. I developed insomnia because of my bedtime compulsions making me stall going to bed as long as possible. Playing video games sometimes results in a compulsion where if I dont win a certain amount of times or reach a threshold, something terrible will happen-causing me to waste hours upon hours of time. When it was really bad for me last year I had a day where I sat in my closet with a knife because I forgot to do my prayer ritual. Thank god its on a down season...

[@jordyr2262]

I spend so much time checking doors are closed.. switches are off... alarms are off.. even though I know they are done I can't sleep unless I've checked sometimes checking a alarm over and over for like 30 mins I hate that. Increases with stress too.. when all is good and I'm happy no stress checks seem to not be as needed...

[@SocialNomad]

Thank you for making this, the public needs better education on mental/neurological disorders. Will you touch on ASD/ADHD/Tourettes/etc. too?

[@ForgottenFirearm]

When I was younger, I mainly had to deal with symmetry compulsions and compulsions involving bodily (especially hands) cleanliness and environmental cleanliness --things that may cause the body or clothes to become polluted. Virtually everywhere outside of the home was considered polluted, so after going out, I'd change clothes (straight into the laundry hamper with the "dirty" ones) before sitting in my chair at home, lest it become polluted. Thankfully I'm entirely rid of that compulsion today. However, to this day I still have some symmetry compulsions, but I'm mostly able to tolerate environments with non-squarely arranged objects. But I still straighten them if I have the time. It's like...anything else is like you're TRYING to make your workspace unnavigable, which wastes time, which wastes money. So there's an element of rationality, and a pragmatically useful outcome if I allow that compulsion to inform some of my behavior. Looking back...yeah. It's pretty weird. It's like a vague sense that something very, very bad is going to happen if you fail to perform the ritual --no matter how much you try to talk sense into yourself. Mercifully I never had to deal with constantly looping patterns of behavior. That's gotta be rough.

[@ForgottenFirearm]

I won't go into detail, but I'm pretty sure the OCD was triggered/introduced when I was compelled to spend time with another child I really didn't want to be around for several reasons. This went on for a couple years. I hope this helps someone.

[@jameskissane1209]

Don't forget about scrupulosity. This is where you have extreme religious/ moral compulsions.

[@diablominero]

I definitely have had some subclinical obsessions and compulsions, but ever since around kindergarten I was able to keep them from affecting my everyday life much, so they're not a real disorder, just an annoyance. However, due to them I was able to empathize some with the protagonist of "Turtles All The Way Down," which made it painful to read. What I think is interesting is how our culture seems to fail to distinguish between pleasant fixations (special interests in autism for example) and negative obsessions (with the anxiety and the intrusive thoughts). Having experienced some amount of both (although not very much of true obsessions), I can assert with confidence that the similarity is only superficial.

[@gratituderanch9406]

We’re getting my little daughter who has an unusual obsession with food and compulsive eating of anything. It’s sad. She’s had it since she was maybe 4. And has gotten worse every year. ☹️ it’s very hard to even get her tested. It’s hard to watch as a parent, and she’s gotten sick. Also- OCD vs “I’m quite particular about my books”

[@soogymoogi]

One of the episodes of the anime Trapeze focuses on a guy with the "checking" kind of OCD. I think it's episode 6 or 7? The anime is episodic and several episodes deal with what would be dx'd as OCD in Japan (apparently it's more of an umbrella term there..? don't take my word for it though, just speaking from a friend's research.) Friend of mine with OCD says that and Turtles All The Way Down, as mentioned in another comment, are really good representation. Also that's one of the best episodes of the whole 12? 11? episode series, so definitely give it a look if you're interested in a portrayal of OCD that's not all "eerie mentally ill person cleans all the time, creepy"

[@tjzzz1659]

I was diagnosed with ocd when I was 13. I'm now 26 and it causes strain in all aspects of my life. Because of it i struggle to keep up with my already busy schedule. Sometimes I lose a significant amount of sleep because of it.

[@CharlesBosse]

In addition to implants for deep brain stimulation, there seems to be some potential for certain types of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to help people with OCD. This technique uses magnetic induction to achieve a similar effect to implants without invasive surgery. If shown to be effective, (it is already effective as an alternative for ECT for many with severe depression) it could be a major boon to people with OCD who need more than behavioral therapy.

[@aidran007]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 it really annoys me when ppl say they’re a “little” OCD. Like it’s a choice...you either have it or you don’t. I have OCD thoughts & take medication to help me function without being brain numbingly overwhelmed every day. I hate having to explain “No, I’ve REALLY got this condition, I’m not fuckin saying it for effect”.

[@kyliemarie1069]

I never thought I had ocd for majority of my life because I like don’t have a lot of compositions. However I do get severe obsessions, meaning thoughts I can’t get rid of no matter how hard I try. They’re called intrusive thoughts, and even when I heard about intrusive thoughts I had no idea they were related to ocd, either. Thomas Sanders made a good video describing what it’s like, and that’s where I found out that it’s not normal. I honestly thought it was something everyone got during puberty. But I didn’t find out that it was an ocd symptom until I told my psychiatrist about it. I never thought to mention it beforehand because I thought it was normal... but nope. Ocd. :P.

[@2ooo996]

So glad you made this,every one in my family says they have ocd.

[@andrewwright64]

I don't think it can be overstated how tip-of-the-iceberg these subsets of symptoms/behaviors are. A lot of the stuff people with OCD deal with is a lot harder to wrap your head around if you don't have it or haven't studied it.

[@inkedicon]

Great video. I know you can't cover all the aspects of a disorder in an 5.5 minute video. I'd just like to include some more information. I've suffered from OCD for about 20+ years now. I don't have physical rituals and I don't get anxiety from it. All of my "rituals" are mental and I get guilty not anxious. Case in point, my best friend died of brain cancer. My wife and I took care of him for years. When he died, I blamed, and still do at times, myself for his death. The intrusive thoughts that repeat themselves until i can distract myself are also part of the disorder. As are other feelings such as guilt not just anxiety. OK, I'll step off my soap box now. And before you ask, yes I feel guilty about this comment but I leave it anyway.