What’s Wrong With Saying “I’m So OCD”

1. Do you actually have OCD? Or do you think it’s just a good adjective to use to describe your tidiness and organization skills, or wanting a picture frame even on a wall? The popularity of this phrase indicates that majority of the people saying it likely do not actually have OCD. And if they do have a mental disorder, a more accurate comparison would honestly be OCPD (an excessive need for things to be tidy and in their place).
2. OCD can be extremely debilitating. Unless you have OCD, saying things like “I’m so OCD” makes the pain of OCD look minimal. Sometimes it is even used in marketing or on social media and is described as a desirable character trait. It is not. OCD is a debilitating mental disorder.
3. Do you actually know what OCD is? Yes, for some people order and cleanliness can be an obsession and compulsion. However, there are so many other types of OCD. I personally have moral scrupulosity, a type of OCD that makes me question every single small action and decision in my life to see whether or not it is “moral”, often irrationally so. Other people may have a type of OCD related to driving, with a fear of running someone over by accident. Some people may have relationship OCD, negatively affecting their relationship with romantic partners, friends, and/or family. There are also those with sexual orientation OCD, who frequently, obsessively, and compulsively “check” to see if they are truly “sure” they aren’t gay, straight, or another orientation. There are many more types of OCD. Thinking OCD has solely to do with hand washing and organized closets is absolutely wrong and even harmful.
4. Hearing “I’m So OCD” can be painful, as it is incredibly ignorant to the pain people with OCD actually experience. It shows that the person has no knowledge of the suffering we actually face. They will never have to know our stories or how hard some of us have fought to get out of a dark place. They’ll smile while they casually show off their beautifully organized pantry and their color coded planner, while all someone with OCD can remember is the obsessions, the therapy appointments, the suffering. After all, how can someone say “I’m so OCD” when you actually have it and struggle with it on a daily basis, while they get to peacefully continue their lives unknowing?
5. I don’t get angry at people for saying “I’m so OCD”. I get angry at the fact that it isn’t common knowledge how hard this mental disorder can actually be. If you’ve said this before, don’t beat yourself up about it. But it’s something to keep in mind going forward, because you never know what someone else has gone through. Be kind <3