OCD Mythbusters

[Ashley]

Hey Gang,

I am just working on some press release stuff for OCD Awareness Week and I am working on creating some OCD mythbusters, one for each day of the week.   Help and suggestions welcomed to create the 7 (or more).  The following have been suggested, although I need to change the language to make them more dynamic... thoughts?

• OCD is about lining up the cans in your cupboard/fridge properly
• Everybody has a bit of OCD - Not true, there is a D in OCD which means disorder, and a clinical diagnosis means impact on a persons life.
• It’s a good thing to have OCD - Not true, OCD does not create any practical positive attributes.
• OCD is amusing.
• People with OCD wash their hands too much - Some do, but over 75% of people with OCD have no obsessive worries with germs or contamination.

[PolarBear]

OCD is just another term for anal retentive.

Not true. Some OCD sufferers have problems with order and symmetry but by and large people with OCD are no more neat than the rest of the population.

Edited September 14, 2016 by PolarBear

[gingerbreadgirl]

9 minutes ago, PolarBear said:

Some OCD sufferers have problems with order and symmetry but by and large people with OCD are no more neat than the rest of the population.

This does my head in.  My other half is a total clean freak whereas I am very laid back about that sort of thing.  Guess who is constantly called OCD by all and sundry?! Not me!

 

[Ashley]

36 minutes ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

This does my head in.  My other half is a total clean freak whereas I am very laid back about that sort of thing.  Guess who is constantly called OCD by all and sundry?! Not me!

 

Ha, I perhaps shouldn't laugh but the irony of it is funny.  But it's these myths we need to change so people really suffering don't feel trivialised.

 

[Caramoole]

People who have intrusive thoughts of a harmful nature are dangerous

[Guest Alice36]

Hi, I found a video few months ago. Maybe some ideas or inspiration from here?

She says e.g.:

-  people shouldn’t use it as an adjective when they like something only in a certain way

-  OCD often is not visible even if it’s very serious

 

What NOT To Say To Someone With OCD #OCDweek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgO5MWH5N1g

 

[taurean]

The horrible intrusive thoughts OCD sufferers experience confirm that they are inherently bad. 

[snowbear]

Myth - OCD is something to be ashamed of  

Mythbuster? 'OCD - the hidden disease everybody needs to start talking about'. 

[taurean]

Myth - people with OCD are bonkers . 

[Ashley]

Genuine email sent to the charity... perhaps a few myths we can bust in this email alone.
 

Quote

 

I am Managing Director of XXX-Services Ltd,  we are a 29 year old business with depots across the UK who hire, manufacture, sell & service “Plant” & Tools. We employ around 50 staff & turnover around £5,000,000 + Vat per year.

I have a couple of positions in my X depot & X depot for an admin clerk & stores hand (more paperwork based than labouring). The reason I am writing is this - & please this is not meant to be insulting at all, more of a compliment, is that I believe that we all need 10 – 20% OCD, which is a good thing. I am highly highly organised, like cleanliness & order & always say that I must have 10% OCD – maybe I have? I am not belittling OCD & saying that it is simply just this. I believe that you may have members / clients who may be judged harshly in society because of their condition, but would be perfect for this job anyway, but even moreso because of their condition. I really hope you are reading this email the way it is supposed to sound (good)!!

As with any employee, I need dedicated committed staff, who we will train & support, and maybe you have people who would jump at this kind of chance?

 

 

Names removed to protect the idiotic.   I did reply (calmly and politely) pointing out he had perhaps misunderstood what OCD was and is, but if he would be willing to give job opportunities to people with OCD we would be happy to chat to him... he never replied.

Myths highlighted in red.

Nobody needs OCD!

OCD is not a good thing!

Having OCD does not mean you make a good cleaner or organiser.

 

 

[PolarBear]

Sheesh. We've got a long way to go for awareness.

[butterfly lady]

Here's mine, sorry its a bit wordy:

 

OCD is not something to be laughed at or triavilised. It doesn't just mean you like to have things clean and tidy or arranged in a certain way. It can be a serious, terrifying illness that can make sufferers also feel very anxious, depressed and even suicidal. It needs to be talked about more so that sufferers know that they're not alone and how to recognise possible symptoms.

Edited September 15, 2016 by butterfly lady
Spelling error

[snowbear]

2 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Sheesh. We've got a long way to go for awareness.

That was my thoughts exactly - incredulity at that email is an understatement.  

We have work to do folks!

[taurean]

Stand by your beds, listen up folks, there are still people out there who think a small dose of OCD is a positive tick on the CV  At least our obsession plus compulsion = DISORDER message is starting to get out! 

[Ashley]

One I just tweeted

Quote

Working on some OCD mythbusters for #OCDweek The biggest is that people have to live/manage with OCD for life. FALSE - can be beat/overcome.

 

On another note, if anyone is bit of a graphic design guru and can create a social media image template we can use for tweeting the text myth quotes each day please do have a go for us. 

[Ashley]

47 minutes ago, snowbear said:

That was my thoughts exactly - incredulity at that email is an understatement.  

We have work to do folks!

There was another along the same theme, but I can't find it at the moment. I will try and dig it out.

[taurean]

Myth - you can get rid of an obsessive thought by thinking a neutralising thought. 

[paradoxer]

That depictions in films, TV are almost always wrong, OCD is generally far more debilitating than depicted. 

[Ashley]

On ‎16‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 01:42, paradoxer said:

That depictions in films, TV are almost always wrong, OCD is generally far more debilitating than depicted. 

That's true, or the character will start to develop OCD across many episodes and then gets better in one episode. I tried to get Casualty to show the Dr recovering across a series but nope, he was told he had OCD and then it's rarely been mentioned since.

 

 

[Ashley]

Anyway, back on to Awareness myths.  I am going to use the recovery/cure one as the final 7th but prior to that I need 6 myths that are about 'awareness' and changing perceptions, we have some here any more we can use?  The best six we should use?

[butterfly lady]

I saw a link on social media this morning to an online quiz called "OCD test" the idea being people spot the differences between pictures and a high scores denotes OCD. Its insulting rubbish like this that means this illness is so misunderstood.

[butterfly lady]

Not only have I put a comment expeessing my annoyance on the main post now, I've messaged the website directly and asked them to stop posting rubbish like this.

[snowbear]

2 hours ago, Jaques Melancholy said:

Those who are genuinely interested in it will then seek out proper information.

If only that was true. Sadly it's not. The majority of people believe what they read/hear/see and accept it at face value without even thinking to question it. 

The myth 'there is no such thing as bad publicity' only applies to shallow celebrities seeking notoriety and short-lived fame.

For mental health issues with disabling consequences it's important we get the right messages across in the first place. 

[taurean]

This is very definitely the correct approach. 

Even mild OCD needs nipping in the bud, because a propensity to it can develop - it has a tendency to add rules and restrictions like the layers on an onion - and the message of the charity is obsession plus compulsion equals Disorder.

Anything playing down the deadliness of OCD needs challenging. Well done butterfly lady 

[butterfly lady]

Cheers Roy. I think I'm on a bit of a mission at the mo. Its almost exactly a year, next Friday actually, that I got really ill with OCD. Even though it was the catalyst for change, at the time it was hell and I didn't want to live. When I see things like I did earlier, it makes me angry because the person posting it obviously has no idea of how much ocd is a debilitating, terrifying illness. What's that thing about changing the world one step at a time? I'm good now, still fighting but good. Its time for me to educate people :-)