Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that is often joked about and misunderstood. You’ve probably heard someone say they’re “a little OCD” because they “obsess” over keeping things clean and organized. “There’s the perception that ‘Oh, if I had just a little OCD, things would be better,’” says Patrick McGrath, PhD, psychologist and the Chief Clinical Officer of NOCD. “‘I would have a house that would be more straightened up. I would not get a cold because I would wash my hands a little more.’”
There are also people in the OCD community who believe their or their loved one’s disorder gives them hidden strengths or “superpowers” that those without OCD don’t have.
The perception that people living with OCD benefit from their condition is not only false, but extremely harmful to those who are deeply impacted by this disorder every day. To dispel this misconception, we spoke to an expert to find out why many think this way, and find out the truth about OCD’s impact.
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Can OCD actually be helpful?
To keep it short and sweet, the answer is no. “It’s unfortunate that the notion is out there that OCD, to a certain extent, could be helpful,” says Dr. McGrath. “I don’t know of any disorders that are really helpful in the sense that it makes things easier for them. Not one single person with OCD has ever said to me, ‘Yeah, I would recommend other people have OCD as well.’”
Dr. McGrath says many might believe one of the positives of OCD is the structured rituals and routines, such as obsessive organization—which is a common trait of Perfectionism OCD. “Now, what can be helpful are developing patterns of behaviors that serve us,” he says. “But, just because we repeat those patterns of behavior doesn’t mean they’re compulsions. It just means we’ve identified that we do something, and it’s helpful to us, so we keep doing it.”
Sometimes, the negative impact of NOCD can be hard to recognize, and this is no coincidence. Convincing sufferers that their obsessive fears and compulsive responses are benefitting them or keeping them and their loved ones safe is exactly how OCD sticks around and gets worse over time. That’s why research shows that OCD themes often relate to people’s core values (though other times OCD themes are entirely random).
Make no mistake: OCD tends to attack the things that are most important to people and negatively impacts their lives. In fact, that’s a key part of how OCD is diagnosed.
How OCD can impact your life
OCD in no way, shape, or form should ever be considered a helpful mental health condition. “OCD only gets in the way,” Dr. McGrath says. “It doesn’t make anything better. If it did, we would be telling people to have OCD.” Here’s a deeper look into the impact of untreated OCD:
- It causes emotional distress. OCD is known to cause a mixture of negative emotions that can be challenging to overcome. “OCD leads people to feel terrible,” says Dr. McGrath. “It motivates you based on guilt, shame, and disgust.”
- It can tarnish your relationships. People with the OCD subtype, Relationship OCD, can experience distress due to a fear of making mistakes in their romantic and platonic relationships.
- It can lead to other mental health problems. According to research, having OCD can increase your chances of developing a second mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression.
- It can harm your physical health. OCD can not only impact your mental health, but can cause physical symptoms as well, due to harmful compulsions, avoidance, and intense anxiety. For example, compulsions like excessively washing your hands can cause bleeding.
- It can be a financial burden. If you’re not getting treatment for OCD, it may cause some financial issues. For example, if you have an obsession with cleaning, you may spend an excess amount of money on a plethora of cleaning products you don’t really need.
“There’s just nothing that seems to be positive about it whatsoever,” says Dr. McGrath.
The benefit of treating OCD
While there are no real benefits of OCD, there are tremendous benefits to learning how to manage it with evidence-based treatment—most often exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. This specialized therapy works to break the OCD cycle of obsessions and compulsions by carefully, intentionally exposing you to what triggers your intrusive thoughts, images, urges, or feelings.
The most important part of ERP is the second part of its name: response prevention. You’ll learn techniques to resist doing compulsions that worsen your OCD symptoms. While nothing happens overnight, you can regain control of your life if you commit to your sessions and do the work.
“Treatment can be very helpful because it helps you get back into the world again, and that’s exactly what you want,” says Dr. McGrath.
Treatment can be very helpful because it helps you get back into the world again, and that’s exactly what you want.
There are no positives of OCD to be found, as it can only negatively impact your life. But when people with OCD learn to manage their symptoms, they often find that they are better able to enjoy the parts of their lives that OCD targeted, including traits like organization, responsibility, and dedication to your relationship.
If you have untreated OCD, and the intrusive thoughts and compulsions are not allowing your positive traits to shine through, consider working with a therapist specializing in ERP to get your life back on track. It’s what you deserve.