Blog Psychologist

The A&E show Obsessed has certainly opened up a lot of dialogue between my family and I about my OCD. I'm afraid I'm finding it more frustrating than helpful though. While I realize that OCD is difficult to understand for anyone let alone someone who doesn't have it, I can't help but feel like my family is insensitive to it. Frankly, they just don't get it...at all.

My mother is certain she used to have it, but that she just got over it. She goes onto insist that if I were just busier, or put my mind to it, I too could "get over it". That is insulting and wrong. As I've said before, you don't just get over it. Things can get better. With therapy, I believe it can be treated; but to say I'm not strong enough, or to suggest that my laziness gets in the way of my getting better, it's incredibly insensitive.

My sister is trying to get it, but then she makes comments like "thank goodness you're not as crazy as those people", with no idea of how bad I really have it. Nor does she have any idea of the concern I feel that I will go "crazy". The fact of the matter is she doesn't know because I don't tell her and I don't tell her because I know I'll be judged just like the people on the show are judged.

Even as understanding as I want to be of their ignorance towards the subject, I feel like I will just lose it if I hear how we all have a touch of it just one more time. Of course we all wash our hands, we all check the stove once in awhile, but just because you drink alcohol once in awhile, doesn't make you a drunk. If you eat, you don't have an eating disorder; and if you don't step on a crack in the sidewalk, you don't have OCD. I have this and it's real. If I could just get over it, I would.