Hello, and welcome to the first day of the 12 days of mental health!!! Over the next 12 days, I will be talking to you about everything OCD, from facts to my own experiences. I really hope you enjoy my series as this really took a lot of courage for me to do. Mental health is something that I feel very strongly about, but that doesn't mean all of this series will be doom and gloom(as I like to think I have a good sense of humour), so with all of that said, let's get on with the whole point of this series!!!
What is ocd???
OCD is a very serious thing. That needs to be addressed straight away. In simple terms, OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. Sound complicated??? Well it is, but I'm going to break it down for you so you can hopefully understand what an ocd sufferer goes through everyday.
To explain, I'm going to use the OCD cycle. This cycle is a very simple way of explaining what ocd is to non sufferers.
Part one: The obsession - In simple terms, an ocd obsession is a thought that enters your head. This thought is not pleasant in the slightest.
WARNING: NEXT BIT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A TRIGGER. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
This thought could include anything: from murdering someone, to deceiving someone, or even raping someone. The thought usually involves somebody that you care lots about. Of course, someone with OCD would NEVER EVER carry out any of these actions, but the thought that you could do it is so terrifying. These thoughts cause lots of anxiety.
Part 2: Anxiety - This stage is the one where the tears happen. These horrible thoughts can Cause anything from panic attacks to "tantrums"(saving that for another day). It may sound silly in writing, but these obsessions cause so much anxiety. This anxiety causes something called compulsions.
Part three: Complusions - This is the bit that doesn't make sense to people who don't suffer with OCD. Basically, a compulsion is the action a person with OCD needs to carry out in order "for the obsession not to happen", these compulsions include
- Switching lights on and off
-Doing things a certain number of times
-Ordering things
-Not walking in cracks on the pavement
-Making sure doors are locked and ovens are switched off
-Doing things until they feel right.
After a sufferer has completed these compulsions(however long it may take) they enter the fourth and final stage, relief.
Part four - relief - Do not be fooled by the title. It is not really relief as it only lasts a certain about of time. This could be anywhere from a few days to a few minutes. When the relief wears off, the whole vicious cycle starts again.
I also need to point out that certain things/people can trigger OCD, but I will be going into that on another day.
Tomorrow, I will be writing about my own experiences with OCD, and what obsessions and compulsions I suffer with. I am doing this because I feel like more awareness needs to be spread for this horrible illness.
Christmas countdown: 12 days🎅🏻
