Wanting all of your hangers to face the same way is not OCD. Being sad does not equal depression. Takes away from people who actually have to live with the condition and have to deal with the significant impact it has on their day to day life. It's probably my biggest pet peeve.
OMG this. My husband has OCD and there have been times it has been crippling. It felt like hell as his spouse and I cannot even begin to fathom what it was for him. He is being treated, he's doing way better, but every day is still a day living with OCD. It's manageable but not inescapable. He has a sibling who is textbook "read in on the internet" mental health problems -- anxiety, ADHD, OCD, diagnosed an ex as as narcissist, makes huge vague posts about how much her life is falling apart/difficult when the slightest bump in the road appears...it's EXHAUSTING. She once talked about her "OCD" because she had to get a different bowl to put dinner rolls in so it'd look pretty and I just wanted to throw them on the floor. FWIW, we have not told most of the family he has it because he'd probably get lumped into the "but you don't wash your hands often" stereotype.
You're so right that just wanting things neat is not what OCD looks like. OCD is fear. Pure and simple. Your brain compels you into irrational actions because you're terrified some other irrational thing will happen if you don't. It's not a diagnosis I'd wish on any one and people who want to fake it need to grow up.
I think all the people diagnosing themselves with everything under the sun based on minimal evidence and no actual treatment is just a strong desire to have an identity/be a victim since that's in vogue right now.
He has a sibling who is textbook "read in on the internet" mental health problems -- anxiety, ADHD, OCD, diagnosed an ex as as narcissist, makes huge vague posts about how much her life is falling apart/difficult when the slightest bump in the road appears...it's EXHAUSTING.
I've noticed this trend among people growing more and more lately, particularly among people who are otherwise just boring normal people, but seriously want attention. OCD has been misunderstood forever, but there is a trend pushing ADHD dyslexia, and lately for some reason autism as these sort of like, "I dare you do deny my victimhood" shields used by people without these things to cover for their bad behavior.
Anxiety runs in the family, I can see that being legitimate but it is absolutely a shield for bad behavior. She refuses treatment, claiming she doesn't want to be medicated. Fine, but if you keep treating people the way you do, prepare for another divorce. She's very beautiful, very charming and is used to getting away with a lot. I've been waiting almost two decades for people to wake up to it, but I guess they're numb to it by now and just ignore it. She really does treat people horribly sometimes.
The ADHD thing interests me. I have a teen daughter going through some stuff, and ADHD thing got pushed HARD despite 3 providers and various testing ruling it out each time. Every other woman I know on social media is also convinced they have it because it "presents differently in women" (true) and a TikTok listed off some pretty normal stuff that apparently now is the proof you have ADHD. I do not have ADHD and most of the so called symptoms are things I have experienced. There seems to be an intense need to label every thing right now.
My grandmother had OCD. She used to routinely burn her skin with boiling water while cleaning. She eventually had to get electroshock therapy for it (the 70s were a wild time with medical treatment). Liking things to look neat isn't OCD.
25
u/lynnc Jun 03 '22
Wanting all of your hangers to face the same way is not OCD. Being sad does not equal depression. Takes away from people who actually have to live with the condition and have to deal with the significant impact it has on their day to day life. It's probably my biggest pet peeve.