Read on Twitter
OCD PSA! Obsessive Compulsive Disorder often doesn't make sense from the outside. E.g. someone with OCD might have obsessive thoughts about getting germs from doorknobs and need to wash their hands after touching them, but then feel no trouble gardening without gloves.
If you don't have OCD, if you haven't had extensive training in OCD, you really should not ever be telling someone with OCD what is or isn't OCD. YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I mean this with all the kindness and compassion I can muster: you have no idea.
Again, OCD is not fastidiousness. It is not a desire for a tidy house. It is unwanted, intrusive thoughts followed by the compulsion to do neutralizing behaviors, and it interferes with your ability to live freely and do what you want to do. It's complex. And can be debilitating.
The good news is exposure therapy and other types of therapy have been shown to be highly effective with OCD. But it's hard, expensive, and time consuming, and the majority of people in this country don't have easy, affordable access to mental healthcare.
