OCD: myths and facts

Have people ever told that you have OCD just because you wash your hands a few too many times a day or if you always have your cupboard clean and clothes folded neatly? Well, the inaccuracy of someone suffering from OCD just because they display a few of these behaviors could not be higher.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is when the diagnosed individual has uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and/or behaviors that they feel the extreme urge to repeatedly perform. Essentially, just like the name suggests, the individual has specific obsessions (thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors) that they simply cannot resist.

The way the term OCD is thrown around today is too casual.

The seriousness of the issue is often overlooked by the majority of the population. It is also highly insensitive to be using such a heavy word in everyday conversations. The trivializing of the disorder by the population is the most significant issue at hand.

Someone making their bed every morning doesn't mean that they suffer from an obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD means having an irrational preoccupation with an act or behavior. Pretty sure there is nothing irrational about making your bed every morning.

Even saying, "I'm so OCD", is offensive and simply a joke. The entire term is somewhat misunderstood and is too popularized for being used as comedic relief.

A lot of people deem themselves to be perfectionists and also pay great attention to detail. It's natural to worry or obsess over certain things, which cannot be classified as a disorder.

Being anxious and hyper-vigilant is a normal and inevitable reaction experienced by everyone. Proclaiming oneself as having OCD just due to these experiences is nothing far from just ridiculous.

The audience needs to understand, rather than isolating assumed stereotypical symptoms of the disorder, OCD has to be perceived as a cognitive pattern.

Imaging studies have shown that there are differences in the frontal cortex and subcortical structures in the brains of those diagnosed with OCD.

Researchers claim that there is a connection between the symptoms experienced and the abnormalities in some brain areas. To this day, this still remains unclear; however, research is still underway.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects around 2.2 million adults. It is not predominant to any gender in specific; it affects both genders equally.

The most average age of onset is 19, and 25 percent of cases start by the age of 14. Around one-third of affected adults usually experience their first symptoms during their childhood.

Family and twin studies have proved that those with first-degree relatives who suffer from OCD have a higher chance of developing OCD themselves.

The risk factor would be at a higher percentage if the first-degree relative developed OCD during their childhood or as a teenager. The current research attempts to explore the connections between obsessive-compulsive disorder and may also help improve diagnosis and treatment.

Plenty of studies show that many social media websites establish that everyday behaviors are related to obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Furthermore, experiments were also conducted to examine the effects of disease trivialization by social media users through their platforms. The experiment first elucidates the topics of disease trivialization as a three-part phenomenon.

This involves oversimplification, mockery, and diseased severity.

Suffering from OCD is tremendously scary. The individual is literally unable to make it into a world that fits and constantly feels like things need to be changed. The illness is a haunting and pursuing one.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not a joke. It is a severe condition that a large chunk of the population suffers from.

A humble request to the readers: Please be more sensitive with the term 'OCD'.