Words have the power to hurt, heal, strengthen, weaken, and inspire. They can build you up or break you down. This is why breaking the stereotypes for OCD is so important. When you use the term "OCD" in your everyday language to describe how you feel about something, it can hurt someone that actually has OCD.
I used to hide the fact that I had OCD. In middle school, I remember referring to my disorder as my "deepest, darkest secret." Only my closest friends and family knew that I was struggling with OCD. Since I wasn't open with others about my disorder, I viewed it as something that was embarrassing because that is how other people seemed to see it. I would hear people say things like "I'm so OCD about that" or "OCD much?". It appeared to me that having OCD was a joke to people and that actually having it was something I should keep to myself. It hurt to have my disorder being labeled as something that was so easy to deal with. OCD has caused me a lot of challenges in my life and to me it is very hard to live with.
It wasn't until this year that I began to be completely open with my OCD. This is when I began to notice people using OCD as an adjective even more. My classmates, coworkers, and even teachers were saying things like "You know how OCD I am about my desk" or "I'm so OCD about keeping this straight". Each time I heard someone use it as a loose term, it hurt. I was too nervous to say anything, but now it needs to be known to everyone that these words hurt. My disorder has been debilitating and to use it as an everyday adjective is not okay. The next time you go to use OCD in your everyday vocabulary, think about how you are using it and how it could hurt others. Words hurt and something as simple as a little joke could really ruin someone's day.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has hurt me in more ways than could ever be imagined, but it has also made me the woman that I am today. Without it, I wouldn't be able to be as strong as I am. With that in mind, let's all consider others more and stand together to diminish the use of OCD as an adjective. This way we can all be united in the fight against OCD.
I used to hide the fact that I had OCD. In middle school, I remember referring to my disorder as my "deepest, darkest secret." Only my closest friends and family knew that I was struggling with OCD. Since I wasn't open with others about my disorder, I viewed it as something that was embarrassing because that is how other people seemed to see it. I would hear people say things like "I'm so OCD about that" or "OCD much?". It appeared to me that having OCD was a joke to people and that actually having it was something I should keep to myself. It hurt to have my disorder being labeled as something that was so easy to deal with. OCD has caused me a lot of challenges in my life and to me it is very hard to live with.
It wasn't until this year that I began to be completely open with my OCD. This is when I began to notice people using OCD as an adjective even more. My classmates, coworkers, and even teachers were saying things like "You know how OCD I am about my desk" or "I'm so OCD about keeping this straight". Each time I heard someone use it as a loose term, it hurt. I was too nervous to say anything, but now it needs to be known to everyone that these words hurt. My disorder has been debilitating and to use it as an everyday adjective is not okay. The next time you go to use OCD in your everyday vocabulary, think about how you are using it and how it could hurt others. Words hurt and something as simple as a little joke could really ruin someone's day.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has hurt me in more ways than could ever be imagined, but it has also made me the woman that I am today. Without it, I wouldn't be able to be as strong as I am. With that in mind, let's all consider others more and stand together to diminish the use of OCD as an adjective. This way we can all be united in the fight against OCD.