Can an OCD be a writer?

Question

I'm obsessive-compulsive... I've succeeded with art but writing isn't easy... is it even possible to be a writer with OCD?

Answer 1

Well, it depends on what type of OCD you have. I have had OCD since I was a kid. When I was in elementary school, writing became very hard, but not for reasons such as being afraid of germs on my pen or anything like that. No, my problem then was counting and repeating tasks. So when I tried to write, I'd end up erasing the same word over and over until I had torn up the paper. Or, I'd write the same word over again many times, my handwriting became sometimes impossible to read, and sometimes I'd ruin words by repeatedly writing over them. I'd also count the words over and over again. It took me forever to write anything for my teachers! In a case like that, then yeah, unless you were in treatment/therapy of some kind, and/or able to control your OCD, you obviously would not be that succesful as a writer. You'd have to overcome the obstacles, it can be done.

Guess what? I *am* a writer now. I am a published author (no, you don't know me, I'm French Canadian and write about Acadian folklore and culture, in French). But I have managed to control my worst OCD problems on my own, without drugs or specific therapy. So yes it can be done, I'm proof of it. There are great books out there on OCD. And as someone just posted, lots of succesful people have OCD. To name some others, there are also Howard Hughes and Howie Mandel.
Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Of course it is.

Some famous OCDs: Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Cameron Diaz, Howard Stern, Michaelangelo, Beethoven. Frankly, it's not suprising that OCD can fuel a highly driven person to be very successful.

You're in good company, my friend.

Answer 3

If you can hold a pen or use a keyboard. Just clean the keys with an alcohol swab and you'll be ok. right?

Answer 4

of course it is- what is it that's stopping you? Being OCD shouldn't interfere with writing.