Life With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
This essay will introduce some similarities and differences between both symptoms and experiences of six different authors who have been personally affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since OCD is not very well understood by many members of the public ("Escape"), I hope that the experiences of the authors that I researched will be able to paint a vivid picture of what life with OCD is like.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves a chemical imbalance in the brain. This chemical imbalance is thought to be the main reason for obsessions and compulsions, although there may be other factors as well. Nearly one in every fifty people suffers from symptoms of OCD ("Escape"), and approximately 5 million Americans are affected by it (George 82+). To be diagnosed with OCD, an individual must suffer from obsessions and compulsions that actually interfere with their daily lives (Lanning 58+).
The authors of the essays that I read all suffered from one form or another of OCD. Robin Belinda Street is a freelance writer, wife, and aunt. Marc Summers is a 45-year-old husband, father, and TV show host of Nickelodeon's Double Dare. Elizabeth N. is a 17-year-old student and basketball player. Amy George is also a teenage student. Gabrielle Bauer is a new mother. The author of "Escape From the Manhole" is a husband, father, and graduate student. These authors of varying ages and life experiences all share a common fate. We can learn about their condition by comparing how these unique individuals experienced their common bond.
There are several common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder that I observed throughout the essays. One of these symptoms was repetition. In "Secret Rituals," George explains that "[she] started having to do everything in threes" (82+). Elizabeth N. wrote, "I'd have to do everything over and over again" (Lanning 58+). Street also notes that "[she] found [herself] repeatedly checking to see if [her] coffeemaker was turned off" (72+). Another common symptom was cleanliness. Summers talks about how he would spend hours in the shower after being thrown into some weird substance on his TV show (139+). Elizabeth N. points out that she wouldn't wear clothes that she thought were contaminated (Lanning 58+). In addition, George admits, "I could think I was clean one second and dirty the next" (82+). Another area of major similarity was perfection. Summers wrote, "The clothes in my closet hung exactly two fingers apart" (139+). Elizabeth N. claims that she would have to retie her shoes and rewrite her notes in school until they were done perfectly (Lanning 58+). The last symptom I noticed was fear. Bauer wrote about how she was afraid that her baby daughter could not hear (101+). Elizabeth N. had a fear of germs and a fear that she was shrinking (Lanning 58+). Street admits her fear of running over children with her car (72+). While many of the authors had similar symptoms, there were some unique ones. The author of "Escape From the Manhole" was experiencing sexual obsessions and compulsions. While Bauer mentions that "intrusive sexual thoughts often plague people" (101+), none of the other authors experienced such thoughts. The common symptoms are often the ones that most people think of when someone mentions OCD, but symptoms alone are just a small part of the life.
Many of the authors experienced similar thoughts throughout their trials with OCD. One of the first common experiences the authors shared during their most critical stage of OCD was the extremely time-consuming nature of their obsessions. George recalls that "it took longer and longer to get ready each day" (82+), while Summers wrote, "I was wasting so much time" (139+). Street also hinted at her waste of time due to the lengthening of her commute to work (72+). This time consumption is an important theme that shows how repetitive the actions and thoughts of those with OCD can be.
Another common theme was that the authors didn't know that they had a disease. While they knew they had problems, they didn't know other people suffered from the same and that there was a name for it. When they finally found out about OCD, they felt tremendous relief. Summers recalls he thought, "I'm not crazy after all" (139+). The author of "Escape From the Manhole" wrote, "Realizing that my sexual thoughts meant absolutely nothing about me or my character was an incredible relief" (n.pag.). George also emphasizes, "I was so happy there was actually a name for my problem" (82+). I found the fact that the authors did not know about OCD to be rather interesting. I would think that it would be extremely difficult and discouraging to be experiencing such horrible things and not even know what was wrong. This is probably one of the major reasons that the authors were so relieved when they found out they were not alone with their obsessions.
After being diagnosed with OCD, all the authors either took medication, often an antidepressant, participated in therapy, or both. Both Summers and Street at first dismissed the idea of taking drugs but later gave in (Summers 139+; Street 72+). The therapy in most cases was quite similar. The authors' therapists had them do things that were against their compulsions, such as only washing their hands once. This therapy was used to show the patients that the things they thought would happen to them if they didn't complete their obsessions were just thoughts (Lanning 58+). Many of the authors were not exactly thrilled about the therapy, but without it their recoveries may not have been as rewarding.
The authors all shared similar recoveries. The improvement through treatment was unanimous, but most of them still had obsessions from time to time. The medication and therapy helped them to be able to resist obsessions and to lead a much better life. The author of "Escape From the Manhole" said, "Within a few months … my sexual obsessions were gone" (n.pag.). Bauer wrote that after taking medication "[she] returned to [her] old self within a couple of weeks" (101+). Summers admits, "I'm not cured, but I'm better" (139+). The successful treatment is one of the greatest common ties among these authors because recovery for them was truly an experience beyond belief.
While all the authors had common experiences, the author of "Escape From the Manhole" was the only patient that talked about God playing a vital role in the healing process. He insists that "the strength and encouragement [he] received from [his] weekly commune with God was the primary reason for the success [he] gained from the behavioral therapy" ("Escape"). He had an unusual case of OCD because "most persons with the disorder do not usually act on their immoral obsessions" ("Escape"). His psychologist determined that there were probably psychological factors involved with the author's obsessions as well as the OCD ("Escape"). This author's unique experiences and beliefs show us that OCD like many other disorders is not something that can always be clearly defined.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder has many common symptoms and experiences that along with it, but it is not completely cut-and-dry for every individual. The authors of these essays have gone through many hard times and want others to be informed about their disorder. Through their personal stories, I hope we have all learned a little more about what life with OCD is all about.
Works Cited
Bauer, Gabrielle. “A Little Obsessive.” Chatelaine . . . etc. . . . (journal article – MnLink)
“Escape from the Manhole.” Confessions of a Sex Addict. . . . etc. . . . (article on the web)
George, Amy. “Secret Rituals, OCD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Life out of Control.” Teen . . . etc. . . . (magazine article – PALS)
Lanning, Rebecca. “My Life was Out of Control.” Teen . . . etc. . . . (magazine article – MnLink)
Street, Robin Belinda. “Prisoner of Fear.” Good Housekeeping . . . etc. . . . (magazine article – MnLink)
Summers, Marc. “Mister Clean.” People Weekly . . . etc. . . . (magazine article – MnLink)