preview

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Better Essays

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also called OCD, is characterized by two behaviors – obsessions and compulsions. A person with OCD has an obsession or persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thought, which leads them to do actions or compulsions that’s ritualistic in nature. They do these actions to temporarily relieve the anxiety that they feel with the persistent thought, and for this reason, they feel compelled to perform these actions. For example, someone with OCD might be worried about getting sick or being infected by germs, and they might engage in excessive hand washing or cleaning. Their anxiety is relieved once they’ve cleaned or washed their hands a lot. Of course, this relief doesn’t last for a long time as the thoughts are persistent …show more content…

For instance, the term ‘OCD’ is often used, but most people know just some aspects of it and not its entirety. This sometimes lead to stigmatization and generally misusing the term. Stigmatization of mental disorders like OCD is not uncommon. I think it’s even more frequent with this disorder, because it is well-known. ‘You’re very OCD’ is a phrase that most of us have heard at least once in our life. People like myself, whose very particular and organized, hear this phrase on a weekly basis. This use of the word OCD has somehow become a common phrase that is often incorporated in everyday language, and it is misused in this context, most of the time. Because it is used so much, I think people fail to realize that it’s a real mental disorder and that people that are suffering from it has a greatly reduced quality of life. It’s something that they wouldn’t want and especially they don’t want to be treated or looked at differently because of their condition. Calling someone OCD is like calling someone schizophrenic or anorexic, but for some reason, it has a lesser negative connotation. In other words, in our society, somehow it’s okay to call someone out for ‘being OCD’ when it’s an inaccurate statement, and most of us should know that it’s wrong to call someone by their

Get Access