I hear phrases like, "My OCD won't let me leave my house clean" all over social media from people. But will anyone tell you that OCD is neither a cleanliness obsession nor a cool Instagram habit?
I live with someone who is actually diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and I know all too well what a torture this condition is. Not only for the person who experiences it every second within themselves, but also for those around them, who love them and live with them.
In my relative's case, it has nothing to do with cleanliness in the classical sense of the word. He has a strong need for things to be exactly where he is used to seeing them. For example, his bag must always be on the table. It is not order that bothers him, but change. And in fact, many of the things he keeps around him create clutter, not cleanliness.
He never allows you to make changes to the house, even very small ones, such as a new pair of curtains or a different wall color. He has extreme anxiety and extraordinary difficulty throwing things away, even when they are very old or completely useless.
Has an almost obsessive desire to collect items with no real value, such as sea stones, empty boxes, or items he never uses, simply because he can't throw them away. He repeats actions several times, often thinks out loud, and often talks to himself.
And I'm talking about an extremely well-read man, with great professional achievements and a highly developed mind. But that doesn't make it any easier for those of us who live next to him.
Living every day next to a person with this type of difficulty is very tiring and emotionally exhausting.
You can't fold his clothes the way you want. You can't even make the smallest change at home without arguing. You go on a trip and he comes back 2-3 times from the road to check if he locked the door, even though he knows he locked it. You just can't stop that inner feeling that pushes him to check again.
Even the smallest things, like an empty box that is "taking up space," should be communicated to them very delicately, so as not to cause them to panic. For example, you should say, "What do you say, should we throw this box away?" and not just throw it away.
It's painful.
Because on one hand you just want a normal life, less tension, more freedom to change and breathe. But on the other hand, you love this person very much and you wouldn't hurt him.
It requires a lot of care and patience, because a small conflict for you can be an emotional shock for him.
I once objected to him out of ignorance. I argued logically and acted "properly" with some objects. But the situation I caused him was very serious. I still remember with tears in my eyes, when I found him talking to himself, silently, alone in the room.
So, OCD is not an Instagram trend, but much more than that.
Story received by Anabel's editorial office.
