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Dara O'Briain - General attitudes to OCD


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Raising awareness of OCD can be helped so much by celebs talking out, helping to change perceptions in a positive way, but celebs also do the biggest damage to our cause by perpetuating misconceptions about OCD and adding to the stigma.

So when a comedian (I think) on Twitter (@daraobriain) makes a light hearted wise crack using OCD to be funny, whilst not intending to be malicious, it simply adds to the stigma, and makes our job of raising awareness twice as difficult, apart from the fact it was not even that funny in the first place.

I have noticed since I highlighted it via our Twitter account about 15 minutes ago, the offending Tweet is no longer showing, which is admirable he listened and removed it, but it shows that our Awareness Week, and that of all OCD charities around the world still must work harder to show that OCD is nothing to be joked about. Screenshot below.

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This is not a personal attack on Mr O'Briain because he is not the first, and won't be the last, more of an attack on society thinking it is ok to use OCD to get a laugh.

So, is it ever acceptable to use OCD in a comedy routine? Harmless fun, or more crassness to make our suffering even more difficult?

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I have very mixed feelings about all this really.

It seems quite lighthearted & as a longterm sufferer of OCD I don`t find it too offensive, but I often find it more unsettling when reactions to these types of comments go to the other extreme & comparisons made with other ilnesses, & so on. (I know part of this is my OCD talking).

I think Dara is one of these comedians that does take his fair share of flack, & almost in an inviting way on certain things, & I don`t think he would intentionally set out to offend. Its all a bit of a long story, but I get the impression he got quite a ribbing on the `Stargazing live' show following comments made on a previous episode of `Mock the the week' about the size of his head, & really having it` own gravity lol.

It is kind of funny really, because I was thinking that reacting to these types of comments, or letting these types of comment ride with no response is very much like how OCD effects us & needs to be dealt with to get better, but all be it in a far less anxious way.

I guess much of this boils down to the glass half full/half empty type thing.

Edited by felix4
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Guest Whatif

What would have been better rather than Dara deleting it would have him to have been to put a tweet after publicising OCD-UK in a positive way....

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Doh, I mean't to add 'for example' at the end of this parahraph.

I think Dara is one of these comedians that does take his fair share of flack, & almost in an inviting way on certain things, & I don`t think he would intentionally set out to offend. Its all a bit of a long story, but I get the impression he got quite a ribbing on the `Stargazing live' show following comments made on a previous episode of `Mock the the week' about the size of his head, & really having it` own gravity lol.
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Guest anatta

I don't find that joke offensive, because I don't see how it could increase stigma, negative associations or misconceptions. He's not making fun of or criticising people with actual OCD, he's just mock-misunderstanding the purpose of the ball boys and girls.

I prefer to err on the side of not taking offense when possible, because minority groups actually increase negative associations more than the jokes themselves do when they react to things that are probably harmless, or over-react to innocent mistakes. Minorities in general and people with mental conditions in particular are seen as lacking sense of humour, taking themselves too seriously and "looking for reasons to be offended" (even though non-minority and privileged groups do this just as much, if not more about harmless things like nudity on TV; they're allowed to complain, it's not called "political correctness" when they they do it). I'm interested in not feeding that particular stigma. Leave easy offense-taking to the Daily Mail, it makes their accusations that everyone else does it even more evidently hypocritical. :whistling:

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Guest Zippo3342

I got teased as a child for having OCD. My brothers friends teased me relentlessly. They thought it was hilarious. Until I threw one of them onto the couch in front of his parents and tickled him so hard that he urinated through his tracksuit pants. The force of his urination was so great that there was a fountain about an inch high THROUGH his tracksuit pants. He never teased me again.

The other kid kept giving it to me as well, he thought that my personally distressing compulsions were really funny and always teased me. Until one day I'd had enough of the mocking and snapped out. I dragged him into the back yard and water boarded him in the backyard pool until he apologized. He never teased me again either.

That is how I feel about people mocking OCD. But as an adult now if I did the above things I would be sued and prosecuted.

I think most people without OCD are understanding and see humor against sufferers as cruel and speak out against it. I have seen this happen before.

Edited by Zippo3342
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Guest legend

Totally irresponsible in my opinion, as it may in theory prevent someone seeking help ( average person takes 7 years to seek help)

and may prolong that person , as it comes across funny to have ocd

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I don't find that joke offensive, because I don't see how it could increase stigma, negative associations or misconceptions. He's not making fun of or criticising people with actual OCD, he's just mock-misunderstanding the purpose of the ball boys and girls.

I think the problem is Anatta that his comment does add to misconceptions that OCD is about being clean and tidy, and whilst I am sure he was not deliberately intending to be offensive, he did not offend me personally, but I know other members of our community will be, so I do have to respond accordingly. However, I do believe his comments do continue to trivialise the seriousness of the illness, and makes our job even harder which does make me angry. So whilst two comedian’s worked hard to change perceptions last week, to highlight that OCD and Mental Illness should be taken more seriously and showed how serious it can, this comedian as gone some way to undo their good work with his flippant comment, which does trivialise the seriousness that OCD can be for some.

What would have been better rather than Dara deleting it would have him to have been to put a tweet after publicising OCD-UK in a positive way....

Possibly, perhaps we should ask him to do that during Awareness Week. But, fair play to him, I will give him credit for removing the Tweet when it was raised with him that it was inappropriate.

I often find it more unsettling when reactions to these types of comments go to the other extreme & comparisons made with other illnesses, & so on. (I know part of this is my OCD talking).

In what way Felix? Do you think people should not be comparing to other illnesses? I know someone on Twitter did suggest he would not make jokes out of cancer, so why does he about OCD.

I think this is perhaps half the problem about why I feel jokes like this trivialise OCD, many people think OCD is a quirky little illness, and not serious, by comparison to other illnesses. It’s not for me to say if OCD is any more serious or not, but what we all know is that OCD can destroy people’s lives, from destroying careers to ruining relationships. Sadly since doing this job I have also had to spend far too much time talking to bereaved family members, where their loved ones have taken their life because of the OCD. I can tell you, each of those calls gets harder and harder for me personally, because I simply have no words for those families, but it is what drives me to work harder to change perceptions about OCD, and perhaps why I get so annoyed when people make jokes out of OCD. So, perhaps also like other illnesses OCD can be the catalyst for life changing experiences, and sometimes in tragic circumstances. Perhaps the difference with other illnesses though is that OCD can be treated.

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Guest Steve1983

Ok, so it supports the idea that people with OCD clean all the time. I don't think attacking society is rational, far from it. The general public don't have a thorough understanding of most things, including OCD. Do people on this board understand what my depressive illness has done to me, how loosing the plot so completely caused me to do things I never normally would, nearly wrecked a career ten years in the making, cost me my relationship, lost me most of my friends, all of my respect and nearly ended with me being sectioned, almost with a criminal record and did end with suicide attempts? ...........No, most people on here would not (some will)......I continually see people making comments that are potentially prejudiced towards those who who lost their heads completely by saying that those who have OCD are not mad, suggesting people with other illnesses are....it isn't said directly and the implication isn't intentional yet it is there. I'm not offended by these comments because people don't understand and they are not educated in that area. I don't expect them to comprehend.

I am sure we have all laughed at jokes on the TV that are prejudiced in some respects, we are not aware we are doing it. We can't expect society to have a thorough understanding of everything because it is not realistic and we cannot expect people in positions of fame to do so either. Simply pointing out to these people that their comments may be offensive and inaccurate is practical, achieving widespread thorough societal knowledge isn't. There will always be jokes like these.

I think you was right Ashley to challenge the comment, but the attack on society at large I find irrational and I don't think it reflects reality. As far as being annoyed by people trivialising things...I don't think this is black and white issue at all for many reasons.

Edited by Steve1983
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I don't think attacking society is rational, far from it.

Society is at fault for sitting back and doing nothing each time someone makes such a crass joke about illness and disability. By society, in this case I meant the guys followers, who joined in and joked with him.

There will always be jokes like these.

It is important that whenever such jokes are made, that we don't just sit back saying 'there will always be jokes like that', it is important, and it is vital that we challenge such comments, and for every person we help educate by making such challenges, maybe it will just make life that little bit easier for someone to open up about their OCD somewhere down the line.

In fact, the phone call I have just had whilst that last post was being made reinforces my determination to always challenge such trivialising comments, and I hope people will support such efforts. It was from a guy who was calling me about one of our own forum members, The gentleman has not been on here for a while, and I am told was making progress with his OCD, but sadly it must have been ever present, or a big relapse occurred and he could take the OCD no more and took his own life earlier this year. So, no, I personally will never just sit back and accept that there will always be jokes like these. I may be swimming against the tide, but I will do all I can to try and change as many peoples perceptions that OCD is something to joke about for as long as I can, and I hope lots of people on here will join me in that.

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Guest Steve1983

I agree that you should raise the issue when someone makes a joke., but I can't see how you can blame society at large, its a leap beyong the rational in my opinion. If by society you mean those individuals on the post, then my argument falls apart entirely.

I will always support mental health causes, I don't feel as though I have a choice to be honest, but I don't become annoyed with others for not understanding, I don't find it is rational. I try to put myself in their shoes to consider their psychological position.

Edited by Steve1983
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I will always support mental health causes, I don't feel as though I have a choice to be honest, but I don't become annoyed with others for not understanding, I don't find it is rational. I try to put myself in their shoes to consider their psychological position.

Don't get me wrong Steve, I would not expect anyone without experience themselves to fully understand OCD, but I would not expect people to make jokes out of something they must at least know to be an illness.

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Guest legend

what would you say to a sufferer who refused to seek treatment steve, because of the joke the comedienne made ?

ocd is known as the secret illness, and "jokes" like these really arent going to help in the long term

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Guest Zonegirl

Here here Ashley, sorry you had to take such a sad call just shows how important it is to make people aware! We wouldn't laugh at some one with a disability say in a wheel chair however I'm sure before awareness etc was made people did xxxx

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I often find it more unsettling when reactions to these types of comments go to the other extreme & comparisons made with other ilnesses, & so on. (I know part of this is my OCD talking).

In what way Felix? Do you think people should not be comparing to other illnesses? I know someone on Twitter did suggest he would not make jokes out of cancer, so why does he about OCD.

I think this is perhaps half the problem about why I feel jokes like this trivialise OCD, many people think OCD is a quirky little illness, and not serious, by comparison to other illnesses. It’s not for me to say if OCD is any more serious or not, but what we all know is that OCD can destroy people’s lives, from destroying careers to ruining relationships. Sadly since doing this job I have also had to spend far too much time talking to bereaved family members, where their loved ones have taken their life because of the OCD. I can tell you, each of those calls gets harder and harder for me personally, because I simply have no words for those families, but it is what drives me to work harder to change perceptions about OCD, and perhaps why I get so annoyed when people make jokes out of OCD. So, perhaps also like other illnesses OCD can be the catalyst for life changing experiences, and sometimes in tragic circumstances. Perhaps the difference with other illnesses though is that OCD can be treated.

See this is my point Ashley, quite a bit of my OCD surrounds the illness that you mention (I cant even bring myself to spell or say the word, & this is a real struggle!), & you have used this identical comparison yourself on other occasions (press reports).

I just get annoyed that on the one hand it gets portrayed that these people trivialise, & the retaliation goes to the opposite end of the spectrum & sensationalise, & as personal thing, I am uneasy about this comparison. Like I said though, in my original post, "(I know part of this is my OCD talking)".

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See this is my point Ashley, quite a bit of my OCD surrounds the illness that you mention (I cant even bring myself to spell or say the word, & this is a real struggle!), & you have used this identical comparison yourself on other occasions (press reports).

I just get annoyed that on the one hand it gets portrayed that these people trivialise, & the retaliation goes to the opposite end of the spectrum & sensationalise, & as personal thing, I am uneasy about this comparison. Like I said though, in my original post, "(I know part of this is my OCD talking)".

Apologies if I have caused your OCD to trigger with the use of the comparison Felix, certainly not intended. It was also an analogy used at the #4GoesMad launch night, I am not sure who used it, but I think it was Ruby Wax.

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Guest Steve1983

what would you say to a sufferer who refused to seek treatment steve, because of the joke the comedienne made ?

.

I wouldn't say much don't think, but I would throw acorns at his head until he finally gave in and signed up for CBT,

Edited by Steve1983
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Guest anatta

I continually see people making comments that are potentially prejudiced towards those who who lost their heads completely by saying that those who have OCD are not mad, suggesting people with other illnesses are....it isn't said directly and the implication isn't intentional yet it is there. I'm not offended by these comments because people don't understand and they are not educated in that area.

I forgot to point this out, yeah. Surely if being called 'mad' is offensive - and like OCD jokes, it isn't in every context in my opinion - it's offensive because it's derogatory, not just because you don't actually have a disorder that you think qualifies for that label. If someone called me the 'D' word for lesbian, I wouldn't be offended on the basis that I'm not in fact a lesbian, I'd be offended on the basis that they casually used a term that's long been shouted by people as they commit assault, intimidation, harrassment and murder, which is to imply some level of agreement with the underlying mentality of the perpetrators, or at least trivialisation of it. (Very often it actually indicates that they're ignorant of those contexts, but that's beside the point.) The same is true of words for profound cognitive or behavioural disturbances, like 'mad'.

I think the problem is Anatta that his comment does add to misconceptions that OCD is about being clean and tidy, and whilst I am sure he was not deliberately intending to be offensive, he did not offend me personally, but I know other members of our community will be, so I do have to respond accordingly.

But compulsions to pick things up is a real OCD symptom. There was a boy at my college who used to wander around picking things up off the floor outside all lunch time. There was no implication in the tweet that every person with OCD does that, that everyone who does that has OCD, or that OCD is defined solely by that symptom. Maybe this is my hyper-logical head talking, but it would really surprise me if anyone who didn't know about OCD managed to interpret that line as meaning any of those three things, because it would be such a huge mental leap from what was written.

However, I do believe his comments do continue to trivialise the seriousness of the illness, and makes our job even harder which does make me angry. So whilst two comedian’s worked hard to change perceptions last week, to highlight that OCD and Mental Illness should be taken more seriously and showed how serious it can, this comedian as gone some way to undo their good work with his flippant comment, which does trivialise the seriousness that OCD can be for some.

I do think it's possible for a comedian to trivialise OCD, but I struggle to interpret that line as doing that. Personally, if I knew nothing about OCD, reading that line would not make me walk away with any new notion about the world other than "oh, picking things up off the floor for no reason can be associated with something called OCD". And that's not inaccurate or trivialising; it gives no indication about the seriousness or otherwise of the thing called 'OCD' either way. But quite possibly other people would walk away with all sorts of other notions that do not logically follow from what was written. I might be underestimating the ease with which some people do make the illogical leap from "A is associated with B" to "B is always part of A" or "A is B".

Edited by anatta
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Guest Steve1983

Although Annata, you are thinking from a purely logical perspective - remember that people usually, at least to a degree, form opinions based on emotion, and whether that is logical or not, the fact of the matter is you need to respect the fact that people may experience emotion in response to statements you make, and so it cannot be ignored. It isn't sensible to say anything and everything as long as it is logical because people may get upset. The point is that the comedian made a joke about something and some people felt offended by it because it was an issue to which they attach huge emotion - and so perhaps the comedians comment was unwise.

Edited by Steve1983
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The point is that the comedian made a joke about something and some people felt offended by it because it was an issue to which they attach huge emotion - and so perhaps the comedians comment was unwise.

Sorry Steve, but that is not the case at all. I have no emotion around other illnesses, lets take HIV. I have no experience of it at all, I know nobody with it, so I have no emotional attachment to it, but if a comedian joked about it I would still be angry, not because of emotion, but because of common decency, only an idiot would laugh at something which they know causes harm, upset and sometimes tragedy to other people.

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Guest legend

Yes but by making it seem funny to have ocd, a person who feels that they might need help, would in theory might resist

asking for help because they fear it might not be taken seriously. i.e making crass comments because someone is

sweeping a floor at he olympics.

thankfully common sense prevailed and he took the twitter joke down

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I do think it's possible for a comedian to trivialise OCD, but I struggle to interpret that line as doing that.

Any time someone uses OCD for the purposes of cheap laughs is trivialising the severity and desperation that OCD can cause Anatta. I don't for one minute he did it to be deliberately offensive (unlike another comedian whose name I forget, Frankie something, he seems to say things just to be offensive from what I can tell). But the joke was made out of a lack of understanding, ignorance if you like, and until we can make people understand how devastating OCD can be, Steve is right, jokes like this will continue, and the perpetuating cycle of trivialisation will continue.

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Guest Steve1983

Sorry Steve, but that is not the case at all. I have no emotion around other illnesses, lets take HIV. I have no experience of it at all, I know nobody with it, so I have no emotional attachment to it, but if a comedian joked about it I would still be angry, not because of emotion, but because of common decency, only an idiot would laugh at something which they know causes harm, upset and sometimes tragedy to other people.

That's not really what I meant, I wasn't meaning to say people had to be personally involved or attached, I don't think I wrote very well what I wanted to say....the emotion in the HIV case would be born from the fact that it kills people and robs people of their loved ones, of course you, I and most other normal people have emotions about this irrespective of whether or not we are personally affected by it. My point was more you have to respect that things you say may cause offence to others and a purely logical approach as Anatta took, as it can upset people.

....but I think this is a slight digression on my behalf.

Edited by Steve1983
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