I've been diagnosed with OCD after a lifetime of thoughts which make no sense, are really bloody distressing, and escalated over the years. I've had Symmetry OCD for as long as I can remember, but I'd learned to deal with those thoughts... I only brought it to a psych when my Harm OCD became frequent/upsetting enough to disrupt my everyday life. This diagnosis means a lot to me, even though it's scary too.
I tried to tell one of my parents about my OCD diagnosis. This parent said, "Stop getting diagnosed with things. You'll get diagnosed with everything if you keep seeing a psychologist. This stuff just a part of your personality." This parent compared my issues with them being an introvert. They reckon everything I've been diagnosed with are just personality traits. (Including... bulimia nervosa??)
I think this parent assumes that OCD is just being really clean. So they think I'm just overreacting by getting diagnosed.
I wanted to explain that, every time I see certain household objects, these horrific thoughts pop into my head, and I can't make it better without professional support. And that's just one example. Turns out, some of my SI throughout the years has actually been OCD. That's what I was dealing with alone. I couldn't figure that out without my psych.
But I couldn't speak up. I couldn't find the words. And it really frustrates me, knowing that my parent still thinks I'm being over-diagnosed for no good reason. It's not as if I enjoy having multiple conditions which are serious enough to warrant being diagnosed. I don't want to live like this. But I am living like this, so I'm getting professional support.
If anyone has any advice about making a skeptical family member believe you, I'd be very grateful. Especially in the realm of OCD. Or just some empathy. This sucks.
Hey @D1ng0 I may not be able to offer advice on how to help your parents believe you, other than perhaps sharing more information and resources about OCD with them like this one. But even then, it sounds like they are pretty closed off to accepting that these are things that you're struggling with.
I used to misunderstand OCD, like a lot of people do, until a good friend of mine started to confide in me about their diagnosis of OCD and how debilitating their thoughts could be. It's incredible that you've been managing up until this point and shows a lot of strength, though I'm really glad to hear that you've got a psych who is now helping you to understand and work through these thoughts, and I really hope that your parents are able to show some more understanding in time
Thanks @Ru-bee for the kind words. I appreciate it. It's taken a lot of work to deal with these thoughts without properly knowing what's going on. I'm exhausted and honestly so glad to have help now. It's why I wanted to tell my family about it. I really just want them to understand the level of effort required for me to simply function.
I don't know if my parent is closed off necessarily. I think they're scared of mental illness and reckon problems go away if you just push through. And they're skeptical about mental health care in general. It sucks because they care heaps, they're just of a different generation. Telling me to just live normally is how they care for me. It works for them, so it should work for me.
I hope my parent comes to view OCD differently. Thanks for telling me that you've learned. That does make me hopeful.
If anyone with OCD can offer some support, I'd really appreciate it. Especially anyone with Harm OCD. I'm still absorbing the fact that I have this condition, and I feel pretty alone.
i'm so sorry that you're feeling quite alone in your diagnosis at the moment. unfortunately i don't have OCD, but i'm more than happy to sit with you so you're not alone, and chat about anything you'd like. here to listen 💙
Hey @rav3n, thanks for supporting me. I hope your evening's going alright.
I'm mainly just exhausted, to be honest. And I'm sad about the way my parent reacted. The thoughts are hard enough, I didn't expect that coming out about them would be so difficult. I couldn't even get to the proper explanation.
I feel very alone. It never seems like the right time to tell anyone about my OCD. Especially the Harm OCD. I don't know how to have that conversation, when what I need to get off my chest is the fact that I'm dealing with graphic, distressing intrusive thoughts many times per day, but those thoughts don't equal SI. I really would like to know how other people with Harm OCD have navigated similar disclosures.
Is there a reputable online space, similar to this one, for OCD sufferers? A forum that SANE can recommend?
Hey @D1ng0 been a while! I'm sorry things are so hard for ya friend, dealing with stigma is the worst.
I dunno about a forum, but you could look into these guys? ARCVIC - they're based in Victoria but offer services Aus-wide. They started out as the OCD foundation so it's like their 'specialty' I guess? But yeah I think they have support groups and stuff too that you could check out.
it really sucks to hear that your parents reacted poorly @D1ng0 i can imagine that it must've taken so much courage to even speak about it in the first place, i wish i had the power to make that go your way.
i can see how overwhelming this is for you and it's totally okay to take your time to process all this. there are definitely people on similar boats to you out there, and like Jynx mentioned, ARCVic is a great one! they have a helpline you can contact as well as online/face-to-face support groups.
i've also found these, i don't personally know too much about them but feel free to give them a go:
OCD Support Group - they offer face-to-face and online support groups too
OCD Stop! Program | Head to Health - this is a self-paced self-learning program... it is targeted towards people with mild-moderate OCD symptoms so you may need to check if this is a fit for you. the program offers a free therapist to assist you with the online modules for about 12 weeks i think
