When asked if I live with OCD, I typically label my experience of having ‘Pure OCD’, or ‘Pure O’. The disclaimer is always, this is not a scientific diagnosis, it is a community name coined by Dr. Steven Phillipson to help individuals with intrusive thoughts and mental rituals feel like they belong. Why is this important and why is it controversial?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is highly stigmatized and trivialized as a ‘quirky’ disorder that ‘everyone has a little bit of’. This is specifically driven by the media and television/movies who do not do their due diligence in representing the debilitating and tormenting reality of OCD. While misrepresenting OCD in this way, the stereotype of ‘cleanliness’ and ‘organization’ is almost always perpetuated or mocked. While contamination and symmetry themes are prevalent and very tormenting for individuals, the percentage of individuals who experience these themes are drastically lower than other manifestations of OCD.
The danger in the erroneous media driven narrative around OCD is individuals suffering with the ‘lesser known’ but ‘more common’ manifestation of OCD have a skewed idea of what the disorder looks like and therefore do not see it in themselves. This delays treatment seeking, extends unnecessary suffering for years and risks individuals becoming depressed and/or suicidal.
The other danger in the OCD stereotypical narratives is the feeling of disconnection individuals with intrusive thoughts and mental rituals may have to the community when they are properly diagnosed. Because of it’s doubting nature, people naturally engage in the fears they don’t really have OCD, and put that with the already misguided stereotypes, and an entire new obsession can be created. What if I really don’t have OCD and the thoughts are real?
When individuals find out there is a community name for their experiences, they typically feel relief, assurance, and less of an alien. It gives them a place among a community of people who just ‘get it’. To a degree, the feeling of belonging to the community can help them accept the diagnosis which can motivate them to seek treatment.
Pure OCD IS OCD. Keep in mind, it is merely a community name. So, treatment protocols are the same as someone who has stereotypical OCD symptoms. OCD is treated with Exposure Response Prevention Therapy, often referred to as ERP. ERP is under the umbrella of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and therapists who treat OCD often specialize in the treatment by getting specific trainings, supervision, and continued education in working with ERP. It is important to ask a potential therapist if they will be using ERP to treat OCD symptoms and you are well within your rights to ask where they were trained and who they are supervised/mentored by in the field.
Pure OCD aka OCD is absolutely treatable. You may find articles or snippets here and there on the internet saying it isn’t. That is simply false. I went through ERP 24 years ago and continue to practice it with OCD in my management of my OCD symptoms. You can too!
