Have you ever been with a group of people and heard someone exclaim, “I’m so OCD about that”? Or heard people sharing their organizational preferences say, “I’m such a neat freak” or “I like everything to look a certain way,” and then follow up with references to OCD? Comments like these not only portray obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in an inaccurate light and downplay its seriousness, but they also overlook the many different ways that OCD can show up in people’s lives.
While some with OCD might recognize that these misconceptions are a far cry from the taxing disorder they live with, sadly, others who encounter them can end up questioning if they even have OCD. If an individual’s symptoms don’t resemble the depictions of OCD that they’ve seen, they can end up turning to self-blame and keeping their struggles to themselves instead of finding effective treatment and support. This is why it’s so important to understand that OCD can be incredibly creative and nuanced, and can take on a wide variety of different forms.
The many faces of OCD—and why they matter
Intrusive thoughts, the unwanted and often distressing thoughts that are one of OCD’s core symptoms, tend to focus on what a person considers important, or what they value. Since each one of us is unique and values different things, it makes sense that OCD would then present itself in a myriad of ways.
These different focuses of OCD are often referred to subtypes, although I’ve also heard them called themes or flavors. OCD has a habit of switching themes or even taking on multiple themes at once, which may explain why some call the disorder a shape-shifter or compare it to the game whack-a-mole. These varied ways of talking about OCD speak to OCD’s capability to be different things to different people—and show that OCD cannot be wrapped up neatly and put in one box.
The description I’ve heard that comes closest to summarizing what OCD actually consists of, at its root, is the experience of suffering from intense doubt and uncertainty over something—or many somethings. Often, the doubts of OCD can center around whether the symptoms an individual is experiencing are actually symptoms of OCD. Adding to this issue is the fact that many people with OCD spend years dealing with misdiagnosis or mistreatment, which can cause them to chalk their symptoms up to anxiety or another condition.
Because of this general misunderstanding, those with OCD can—and frequently do—feel that they are alone and different from others. I encountered this belief often in my career as an OCD specialist. Some of the saddest stories I heard from the people I worked with were the ones in which they thought they were “crazy” because of their symptoms.
The role of subtypes in understanding OCD
With all of the education and advocacy surrounding OCD in recent years, more and more subtypes of OCD are being identified and openly discussed. This has had a significant positive impact on the OCD community and, overall, has been a powerful revelation for the many sufferers who would have never known what OCD was without this vital information to help them understand their experiences.
But while information about different subtypes of OCD can be incredibly helpful for those who identify with them, it may cause someone whose symptoms don’t match any subtype to feel alone in their battle, and potentially lose hope. This is why as we talk about OCD’s different subtypes, it’s crucial to also clarify that individuals can have OCD and not have their symptoms “fit” neatly into a particular subtype. On the other hand, it’s also possible for someone with OCD to identify with every subtype. None of these experiences are wrong.
What we need to do as people who experience OCD, advocates for the OCD community, and professionals who treat OCD is to keep educating others on the diversity of OCD. People need to know that just because their presentation of OCD looks different from someone else’s, it doesn’t make their experience any less valid, any less meaningful, or any less worthy of effective treatment.
What every experience with OCD has in common
In a sense, the OCD community is like one big family. OCD is the disorder, and how it “shows up” is similar to how each member of the family is different, but connected by their shared DNA. For the OCD community, that “shared DNA” is the condition’s core symptoms of intrusive thoughts and compulsions. Additionally, members of the OCD community often share certain emotional experiences, as all themes of OCD are hurtful, and all of them can cause pain and suffering.
Of course, these commonalities don’t take away from the more taboo themes of OCD, which can receive harsh criticism and negative reactions from others who haven’t been educated on them. Certain OCD subtypes or themes and their symptoms can be harder to discuss, can be harder for those who aren’t educated on OCD to understand, and can carry a great deal of stigma with them.
Regardless of whether someone’s OCD fits into one subtype, multiple subtypes, or none of them, it’s equally deserving of attention and effective treatment—because at the end of the day, no matter the theme, OCD is a very serious mental health condition. It’s been called one of the world’s top 10 most debilitating illnesses by the World Health Organization (WHO).
To help people avoid this serious impact, we must continue working towards a future where everyone with OCD understands that there’s a name for what they’re experiencing, that their suffering matters, that OCD is treatable, and that there is hope.
Effective treatment, no matter the theme
Regardless of the nature of a person’s intrusive thoughts—whether they’re violent, taboo, sexual, or otherwise upsetting—all themes of OCD are treatable with exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. ERP is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was developed specifically to treat OCD. It’s designed to break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions, helping OCD lose its power over time, and decades of clinical research have shown it to be the most effective treatment.
In ERP with NOCD, your therapist will help you understand how OCD operates and how ERP works to manage it. When practiced regularly, ERP can help you learn that OCD’s anxiety and distress are false alarms, and that these uncomfortable feelings will eventually pass without you needing to do anything. ERP has helped thousands of our members achieve significant reductions in OCD symptoms and dramatically improve quality of life. If you have any questions about starting ERP therapy or need more information about the treatment, please don’t hesitate to book a free 15-minute call with our team.
If you’re worried or uncomfortable about discussing your symptoms and thoughts, please keep in mind that an OCD specialist, like our therapists at NOCD, will deeply understand all themes of OCD and will never judge you for your thoughts or symptoms. You don’t have to suffer in silence, and many people find relief in sharing their experiences. Over time, you can learn how to manage OCD and regain your life.