I have OCD. That show is disturbing and familiar at the same time. It is challening to say the least. I have spent years being very secretive about my thoughts.
Mrs. Strutt are there thoughts or worries associated with the need for balance? The things we see on TV are the compulsions associated with OCD. The obsessions that drive the compulsions and cause the anxiety are not talked about as much. They can be very disturbing, especially for someone who does not have OCD. Obessions don't make a lot of sense and on the one hand you know they are not true but on the other hand you are not sure. That is the circular, tortuous trap of OCD. Is is called the doubting disease. People with OCD want 100% certainty at all times. That is hard to come by!!!
Have you ever just sat with the anxiety when something is not right? That is the treatment for OCD. It is called Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. The point is to stop the behavior or compulsion. It is not fun but it works really really well. That and medication have made a huge difference in my life.
My example that I give people is that if you have to have your towels folded a certain way or things aren't right that might be a problem. If you are folding your towels for hours, can't stop folding them until they are "right" and are folding them to deal with the obsession that not doing so will mean someone in your family will die then it has moved beyond a problem and into OCD. People with OCD lack a filter in the brain to weed out what my therapist calls "brain farts". Everyone has these crazy thoughts. Most people just move on. People with OCD get stuck.
Anyway I could go on and on. It is a neurological problem. I am so lucky and blessed to have access to really good therapy and medication. Many people do not.
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