I am always very open here on my blog about my struggles with mental health. Back when I was 14, I went under my first assessment for OCD. It was later confirmed, and I have now been living with this for well over a decade. In that time, I have had many questions and assumptions thrown in my direction. Over this time, I have got very good at brushing them off, but sometimes I do feel like I need to say something and address the situation.
So, I thought that for today’s blog post, I would sit down and share with you guys some of the most common misconceptions about my mental illnesses. It may help you if you are in a similar situation or if somebody you know has their own struggles.
That I turn light switches on and off all day long.
One of the biggest misconceptions about my OCD is that I turn light switches off and on 2000 before walking into a room. Granted, there are small quirks that I have, such as needing the music volume on a multiple of 5 and my gas hob burners can only sit at right angles. However, I am confident in that most people from an outward perspective probably wouldn’t know that I have OCD. There are many different faces of OCD and mine certainly isn’t rhythmic tasks such as switching switches on and off continuously.
That I don’t do anything, and I just cry in bed all day.
People watch too many movies that has depicted their idea of depression. Yes, there have been times in my life where all I have wanted to do is lay in bed and wallow. However, I work and I care for my nan. As much as sometimes I would love to shut myself away, it simply isn’t an option. I am always doing something and always have somewhere to be. It is hard when your energy feels like it is at rock bottom, but sometimes I simply have no choice. If I do want a day in bed, I tend to have to block it out in my schedule and make sure there are no plans!
That I am fragile and easy to upset.
Yes, I have depression and sometimes have to rely on medication. However, that doesn’t mean that I am some fragile little butterfly that cries all the time. Because I am so open about my mental state and when I am having good and bad times, people think that they can’t be themselves around me. The perfect example of this was with my own dad. He is the biggest joker, and he has quite a dark humour, but he would supress himself to try to ‘protect’ me. Trust me, it is more offensive to be like that with me than to let something slip out that may make me frown!
That germs frighten me.
Just because I have OCD does not mean that I am frightened stiff of germs. Granted, I do like all areas of my life and space to be clean and tidy. That doesn’t mean that I am scared of germs or in anyway a germaphobe. I have gone to BBQs before, and the host literally bleached my chair in front of me because they thought that I would be too scared to sit on it otherwise. I understand that it was considerate of her for doing it, but just ask me. Speak to me. I won’t be offended that you are thinking of me. But things like this can be humiliating in a large group.
That I can’t have fun because I am uptight.
There are times that I can be uptight. For me, with my OCD I am a super organised person. I need to have plans and guides for everything in my life. However, just because I plan everything out in fine detail, doesn’t mean that I can’t let my hair down. Some people will joke about “what’s next on the agenda”, but I need that to keep me stable. So, more fool you for mocking me for having coping mechanisms in place. This is something that I have learnt to get used to.
I hope that you guys liked this blog post, and it opened your eyes up a little. For me, I like speaking about these things because it helps people with understanding. I feel very fortunate that I am in a position where I can laugh and joke about my condition and speak honestly. For a very long time, I used to try and keep these things incredibly private and hide my feelings. Then when I would get comments from people, I felt so ashamed. These days, I couldn’t care less, but I just wish certain people were more mindful. I hope that you guys liked this blog post and you learnt something from this post.
