Is OCD a bogus illness?

Question

My aunt has it, and it is so bad--she claims--that she can't work.
She's a college-educated woman, intelligent, and capable, so why shouldn't she have to work like the rest of us?
I mean, granted, the OCD gives her very annoying habits--like collecting literally TONS of useless junk and not throwing it away (and she gets FURIOUS if you tell her that she needs to clean it up!), but how does that render her unfit for employment?
Maybe she shouldn't be an accountant, as she'd have to check her figures over and over and over again, but there's other types of work she could certainly do.
Do you know anyone with OCD who claims that it's so bad they cannot function--i.e. can't work or maintain a household or have relationships?
It is a very strange, annoying illness, that's for sure!

Answer 1

It's not bogus - but your right - OCD shouldn't stop her from functioning in a work environment.
I know a few people with OCD (handwashing, obsessive locking and relocking of doors, collecting, hording) they all have jobs - some can only function in certain jobs...like the handwashing guy - we don't have him handle any animals because he's also a germaphob and to keep him from freaking out if a dirty puppy walked in we only have him handle paperwork.

Sounds like she's just lazy and using her illness as an excuse. BUT most people with OCD don't think they're doing anything abnormal or wrong...so if she is aware of her habits and doesn't see any reason to alter or fix them...she could be faking.

Answer 2

OCD is not a myth, my dear- it is a real (and sometimes debilitating) ailment. In my case, I am very blessed, because God has been instrumental in helping me to overcome my sickness.

I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. But I am much better than what once was the case. I am capable of working now (thank God), but there truly was a time in my life when I was incapable of maintaining gainful employment. From the age of around 20 years old up until today (I am 32 now), I was unable to keep a job, because of the OCD rituals, obsessions, and compulsions. It was and is extremely embarrassing to talk about, because it is so very bizarre.

I have strange phobias. For example, I am afraid of mayonnaise. Logically, I know that my fear is unfounded. There are few more innocuous substances known to man than mayonnaise. Many people have phobias of harmful objects or animals- but in my case, it is all the more absurd in that I have fears of things that cannot harm me. You see, intellectually, I am cognizant. I realize that there truly is no danger (in terms of objective reality). But the subjective response that I muster, in the form of emotional response, is what cannot be defeated.

I have made a lot of progress over the years. I still wash my hands very frequently, however. I wash them perhaps forty times a day. And I am still phobic around garbage, mayonnaise, and anything that smells unpleasant.

OCD is the most complex of all the anxiety disorders. It is literally Rocket Science.

Some people, unfortunately, do fake having this illness (and other illnesses, too). But most of the time, it is real. 99 percent of the time, people are really suffering the tortures of the damned.

I just recently got into a relationship with a wonderful young lady. But I was alone for ten years before that. OCD isolates people.

I would venture to guess that OCD afflicts many highly intelligent and otherwise competent people. Intellect has nothing to do with the illness directly. Although many people realize that OCD is an irrational ailment, sometimes there is not a whole lot that one can do to overcome certain peculiar aspects of the disease. But there is definitely hope!

For one thing, God loves us, and can offer help to us if we accept it. Also, medications are important. Education about OCD is important. Family and support systems are imperative to a patient with OCD. And therapy can really work, if one gives a sincere effort.

I had a lot of success using Cognitive Behavioral therapy, myself. I was blessed to have an excellent doctor, who specialized in treating people with OCD.

If all else fails, your Aunt can apply for SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). I recommend talking to a good, compassionate, committed attorney. But please tell her that it takes a long, long time to finally get approved to receive benefits. She needs to have meticulous medical records, and save them and organize them. The process of getting Social Security is very very tedious. But please encourage her. There is hope!

Good luck, and God bless.

Answer 3

I have OCD. I have suffered through it for 26 out of 31 years of my life. It has affected my social life, my family and my ability to work due to debilitating anxiety and depression that comes with it. I think you are very ignorant to assume that you know enough about it to know whether or not someone is able to work.

The majority of people with OCD are very intelligent. It doesn't pick and choose who it affects. It is a biologically based illness that affects a certain region of the brain and it's often inherited. Stress, changes in hormones and all sorts of things can make it worse. The medications out there to treat it can make you extremely sick as most of them come with heinous side effects. The medications usually attempt to slow brain activity down so they cause marked drowsiness.

Do you think you could work if you were exhausted all of the time and your mind was consumed with unpleasant, unrelenting thoughts that filled up most or all of your waking hours????

Answer 4

I have OCD and I have to do many things for school such as reading and writing that require me to do things such as making perfect periods, writing the same word over itself ten times, rereading things backwards ten times, and having coordinated breathing, eye movements, and muscle control when reading or doing anything else. I also have intrusive and persistent thoughts that don't go away unless I do an action to make them go away, these thoughts are horrible images and give me the most uncomfortable and terrible feeling. Even though it is very difficult to deal with I have to do these things to get good grades in school. Your Aunt should realize that to have a job she needs to hide OCD and deal with it as best as possible. No one cares if you have OCD, you just have to do what everyone else does. OCD is bogus. If your Aunt really has severe OCD she shouldn't be working. But, in a moderate to mild case, such as mine, she should be working.

Answer 5

for people with serious OCD, there is a possiblr cure, psylocibin, or magic mushrooms. I believe the research was done at Ohio State University on a very small study group. They found that the trippy mushrooms actually lessoned the symptoms of those people with sever OCD.

Time to go out to the pasture and play in the cow poop!

Answer 6

For someone with the "germ tick" like the character Monk or in "As Good As It Gets" I could see how it could be difficult to function in an environment where people are constantly sick during certain seasons etc.

I know someone who has the "handwashing tick", that is, she MUST wash her hands 3 times when she washes them. She also has difficultly sleeping if something is out of place in her bedroom.

Answer 7

It is deff. a real disorder and unfortunately it does get so bad that some people cannot work...is she seeking therapy for her ocd or just decided to quit her job and stay home? If she does things like that theres a chance she has developed depression because of her ocd.

Answer 8

I know a number of people with it from mild to severe. It can be disabling of a lot of things. In Houston there is a local celebrity that owns a very large furniture biz. His daughter has it so bad she cant drive the same vehicle for very long. Lucky for him he is rich or she would be a pedestrian all the time.

Answer 9

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a very real condition. It sounds like your aunt has it for sure.

However, it can be treated with the proper medication. Get her to a psychiatrist and fast!

Answer 10

OCD is not bogus. I have this so I know. Mine is controlled to where I can still basically function but if you have a case that cannot be controlled I can see how it would be disabling. I have heard of such cases where people cannot leave their homes.