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OCD Mythbusters


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1 hour ago, Gemma7 said:

Just needs to be worded well so it's clear that it means you don't have to just settle with how your OCD is now. 

Ah, yes. I get it now.

I'm still not certain 7 belongs with this mythbuster list, at least in its current format. No. 7 is aimed at sufferers and not at raising awareness of what OCD is and isn't in the community at large. Good message, but different targets,

If you're keen to include it in the Awareness week mythbusters, maybe it could be worded so it's relevant to people without OCD as well as sufferers. eg. 

Myth: OCD can't be cured

Mythbuster: With the right help people do recover and lead happy, healthy lives. 

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4. it’s a good thing to have OCD

what about:

“useful thing” or something what is a bit more specific than “good”

“it can be a useful thing to have OCD”

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24 minutes ago, Ashley said:

That's the myth, but the fact is that OCD is never useful, practical or helpful of course.

it is just a suggestion for the wording of this myth

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 “People have to live with OCD for their whole life. FALSE - can be beat/overcome.” (7) – I like the wording of it.

"People with OCD should just pull themselves together” – I like this, too.

“OCD is just about cleaning, checking and lining things up”  FALSE: OCD can involve many hidden rituals, and only 24% of people with OCD have problems with contamination obsessions. - This is very good.

“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.” – It seems to be important to include this into one of the two lists. (Though this and the previous one almost the same.)

A new one:

“People with OCD are weird losers or freaks and it’s not a severe disorder with real sufferings.” – Does it belong somewhere on the myth list?  5. Joking about OCD?

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22 hours ago, Alice36 said:

 “People with OCD are weird losers or freaks and it’s not a severe disorder with real sufferings.” 

Sorry, this is bad for awareness raising...

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On 19/09/2016 at 23:45, snowbear said:

Myth: OCD can't be cured

Mythbuster: With the right help people do recover and lead happy, healthy lives. 

Shouldn't this be:

"Mythbuster: With the right help people can recover and lead happy, healthy lives." ?

I know I may sound negative, but I think saying 'people do' is very definite and some people may not 'fully recover'? 

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19 minutes ago, Astra said:

Shouldn't this be:

"Mythbuster: With the right help people can recover and lead happy, healthy lives." ?

I know I may sound negative, but I think saying 'people do' is very definite and some people may not 'fully recover'? 

 

I think I agree, we should perhaps edit it slightly.  I do want this to be a positive final one, but by the same token I don't want it to come across that everyone will easily recover, so I am happy to adjust the wording. 

Does anyone have any more thoughts on this one?

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I agree with Astra. The degree of recovery is very subjective and positive seems sensible.

The degree of difficulty also varies. Someone with a counting obsession without magical thinking around it might possibly be easier to assist than someone with a number of themes some very entrenched. 

And any one persons resilience or willingness to work therapy will vary too. 

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I've no strong opinion on how it's worded. I probably used 'do' because I was attempting to bust the myth of incurability.

I like Gemma's 'can and do recover' best of the options because 'can' is about engaging with treatment (as Taurean said) and 'do' is about instilling hope and confidence. 

Edited by snowbear
my keyboard is missing out letters again!
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2 hours ago, Gemma7 said:

Haven't we put 'can and do recover' in the final version? I think that covers both being able to get better and getting completely better. 

I think this is what we ended up with.

Myth: OCD can't be cured
Mythbuster: With good therapy people can and do recover from OCD to live happy and healthy lives.

What about changing to:

Myth: OCD can't be cured
Mythbuster: With good therapy some people may be able to recover from OCD to live happy and healthy lives.

The slight addition of the words some and may means it is not saying everyone will be cured, but remains positive in saying it is possible for some. Is that a better balance or still wrong?

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Did I just say I haven't a strong opinion on how it's worded? Oh dear! Watch out folks, Snowy's stepping back on her soap box... :a1_cheesygrin: 

Frankly, I think the addition of 'some' and 'may' is defeatist and demoralising, and takes away the power of the myth buster entirely. :mad:  

It panders to the idea therapy doesn't work for everyone, that there are some of us who can't be helped however hard we try. You possibly recall that's what I believed when I joined the forum 11 years ago and that I spoke vociferously about how CBT didn't suit me and blah, blah,blah. :blushing: 

Well, it may have taken a decade to get here and by heck it's been hard work, but I am now on my soap box saying CBT does work when done correctly and persistently, and I genuinely believe it can work for everybody. 

There are multiple reasons (with no blame attached) why it might not work at a particular time and the unassuming adjective in 'good therapy' is vital, but I think it's important to avoid inadvertently, or by implication, suggesting there are some people who can't be helped. :no: 

We undoubtedly need to get more good therapists giving good therapy to achieve these positive results, but that's a different issue to what's possible. 

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On ‎24‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 15:44, Caramoole said:

Can you post the final list Ashley?

Huge thanks to Gemma for helping me with this and assisting in creating the final wording.  This is the current draft for the myth/busters and facts (I think, Gemma will correct me if we changed anything since this version).

Seven OCD myth’s for OCD Awareness week.

Myth: OCD is an enjoyable personality quirk
Mythbuster: People with OCD feel like they HAVE to carry out a compulsion because of distress and anxiety, it is not a choice or a quirk.

Myth: Having OCD can be a useful thing
Mythbuster: OCD is a debilitating mental illness and prevents sufferers from living life as they choose, nothing about that is useful.

Myth: Everybody has a bit of OCD 
Mythbuster: Only 1-2% of people have OCD but due to misrepresentation by the media it is regularly confused with people liking things a 'certain' way. 

Myth: It's ok to joke about OCD
Mythbuster: There's nothing funny about the distress, anxiety or fear that OCD causes.

Myth: OCD has no impact on quality of life
Mythbuster: Anxiety or distress and interference with a person's normal routine is necessary for a diagnosis of OCD. (Hence, the D for Disorder in OCD)

Myth: People with OCD wash their hands a lot
Mythbuster: Compulsive hand washing is only a sub-type of OCD, there are many other less visible sub-types that cause great distress.

Myth: OCD can't be cured
Mythbuster: With good therapy people can and do recover from OCD to live happy and healthy lives.

 

 

Seven OCD facts for OCD Awareness week.

1 - An estimated 1.2% of the UK population have OCD, that’s about 780,000 people (1.6% in the US).

2 - People who have OCD intrusive thoughts of a harmful nature are not dangerous.

3 - The World Health Organisation included OCD in the top ten most debilitating illnesses in terms of loss of income and quality of life.

4 - In addition to the sufferer, loved ones are often inadvertently involved in compulsive rituals, putting pressure and demands on their lives too.

5 - The average age for OCD onset is early twenties in women and late adolescence in men, but can affect children as young as 6 or 7.

6 - Without treatment, OCD can severely impact on a person's education, career and relationships. Statistically you’re more likely to be single and unemployed if you have OCD.

7 - OCD is no joking matter, the D in OCD means it is a disorder that causes great distress and disruption to a person's life.

 

Quote

Myth: OCD can't be cured
Mythbuster: With good therapy people can and do recover from OCD to live happy and healthy lives.

There is some question mark over this one, with some concern it suggests everyone with OCD will recover, when that may not be the case.  I don't actually read it that way, but I can understand how some people might. So I don't want this one to be a bone of contention that takes away from the positive message it is trying to end the Awareness Week on.

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2 hours ago, Ashley said:

Myth: OCD can't be cured
Mythbuster: With good therapy most people can and do recover from OCD to live happy and healthy lives.

Or just add "most"

 

2 hours ago, Ashley said:

interference with a person's normal routine is necessary for a diagnosis of OCD

This one has me pondering a bit.  Particularly the words "normal routine", if this is necessary for a diagnosis, I am not a sufferer :(  I am able to follow a normal routine albeit that I might be suffering anxiety and distress internally.  My GP seems puzzled when I tell her it doesn't disrupt my schedule unless in a particularly acute bout of anxiety.

 

2 hours ago, Ashley said:

Myth: OCD is an enjoyable personality quirk

Myth: OCD is an enjoyable personality quirk or shows a weakness

All told it looks very good :)

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10 minutes ago, Caramoole said:

Or just add "most"

Thanks Caramoole, I would love to use 'most' but I fear even more people would object to that suggestion. I wanted to do a good, positive thing and boy it's become a real challenge.

 

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