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Have you ever told your friends that you have OCD? Have you ever self-diagnosed yourself with OCD or have you heard someone saying that they have OCD? Well, in any case, OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a complicated disorder that is vastly misunderstood. Let’s learn more about what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is and how you could support someone diagnosed with it. 

OCD is not just some quirks or pet peeves a person has. To determine a disorder on the simple basis of character traits that a person has is not suggestible. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is the heightened distress, fear and guilt to complete a task. A person diagnosed with this is constantly worried about minimal daily life things that we wouldn’t normally consider important. These recurring unwanted thoughts enable a person to perform activities again and again. 

As we started using the term casually the seriousness of the disorder has tremendously reduced. We tend to confuse between quirks and obsessions which makes the people diagnosed with OCD feel like they are inferior leading them to other mental health issues like Depression and Anxiety. They shy away from social gatherings and feel that they are under constant scrutiny. Even though they realise that their obsessions are extreme and excessive they are unable to control or manage these behaviours. So family and friends need to provide support and understanding to the people suffering from OCD. Here’s what you can do to support:

Be empathetic: 

Understand that OCD is a treatable mental health condition and learn about the troubles and confusion a person suffering might go through. Do not equate your surface-level quirks to a mental health condition that could already be distressing. By equating or belittling their struggles, you may push them into a shell that they might find it difficult to come out of. 

Don’t participate in reinforcing obsessive behaviour

It may seem simple to let a person engage in the behaviour to reduce their stress levels. For an outsider, checking if the door is locked or rearranging the furniture may look like a simple quirk but an individual with OCD will find it rather distressing. By engaging them into this behaviour you are simply just reinforcing their trouble. 

Provide support and suggestible treatment required

To a person undergoing mental distress, taking help may seem crazy and unwanted. But, identifying the symptoms and taking necessary help is always suggested. Even if it is just some casual distress, taking help from a counsellor is always helpful 

Understanding and learning about mental health conditions is very beneficial when having a close relative or friend is important. 

Stay healthy and positive!