Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental health disorder characterized by a cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsions. An unwanted thought or fear produces anxiety and distress, leading people to engage in rituals and responses that temporarily alleviate that distress until the intrusive thought appears again.
Half of OCD cases are misdiagnosed, and it can take up to 17 years for an individual to receive effective treatment after experiencing symptom onset. But why?
A lack of education and stigma make OCD less visible in the medical community as well as culturally. Host Anita Rao talks with writers and married couple Nicole and Mike Comforto about how they found out about Mike’s OCD diagnosis and how the disorder and subsequent treatment affected their marriage. You can check out more of their story via their Substack Hey Honey.
Anita also talks with writer and journalist H.T., whose OCD symptoms started in kindergarten, about the ways in which OCD has shaped her interactions with friends, family and dates.
A special thank you to Dr. Monnica Williams for contributing to this episode. Dr. Williams is the clinical and training director for the Behavioral Wellness Clinic in Tolland, Connecticut, which also houses the New England OCD Institute. She is also the Canada Research Chair in mental health disparities and a licensed clinical psychologist in the United States and Canada.
And thank you to Alexandra Reynolds for sharing her story with us.
Please note: This episode originally aired on April 28, 2023.
Three Things You Didn’t Know About OCD
1. OCD compulsions don’t just show up as hand-washing or rearranging. Other common compulsions are:
- Checking (Did anything terrible happen? Did I hurt someone?)
- Repeating (body movements, activities)
- Mental compulsions (praying or mentally reviewing events to prevent harm)
2. OCD is a cycle of behavior that gets harder to break if untreated. Parts of this cycle may be more outwardly visible than others.
3. Research shows that 50% of OCD cases are initially misdiagnosed. Why? Several reasons, including:
- Lack of information and training for mental health professionals
- Confusion with other mental illnesses
- Fear of disclosure (when symptoms are taboo, shame-inducing)
