Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves the persistence of thoughts that then trigger a reaction that must be completed because it is causing severe distress. OCD is typically thought of as a disorder for people who clean a lot and are always straightening up. This may be true for some people with OCD, but it goes beyond this. It’s a constant thought in their minds that completely consumes their lives and the “compulsion” must be completed on repeat in order to keep their stress levels low.
I personally do not suffer from OCD, but I have read a lot and watched a short documentary on someone who does have OCD. Howie Mandel, a very famous tv host and comedian, has both ADHD and OCD. Due to this, he faces daily struggles. He came out about this on tv and in plenty of articles. His particular OCD is centered around germs, this is one thing that he had been able to keep out of the public eye as it is not very noticeable. Since childhood, Mandel has struggled with his fear of germs which kept him from tying his shoes for many years. His relationship with germs was always unhealthy but as he got older the disorder only became more of a distraction. On TV he’s been able to hide his OCD for many years but finally is confronting it publicly in a new book called “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me.” In this, he addresses the many implications of his disorder and how to has deeply affected him from childhood to present. His famous fist bump shown on TV shows is actually part of his disorder. In the article, he says he views hand like Petri dishes and if he could he would spend all day washing them. So, avoiding hands, railings, doorknobs and other things that normal people interact with daily is a major adjustment that Mandel has to deal with every day. In the article it is also mentioned that Mandel will not touch his money unless it has been washed, his makeup artists are forced to use brand new sponges and brushes every day in order to keep it sanitary, and his baldness is actually a choice that helps him feel more clean and fresh. After having a family, his challenges began to grow, he often would have to separate from his children into his own private living space that was free of germs. His OCD has taken a major toll on not only him but as well in his family’s lives and often leaves him isolated from his loved ones. Certain things just trigger it more and when this occurs, he must complete his compulsion until his mind can get off the subject. Although he hid his disorder for a long time, he now has come out to bring awareness to mental illnesses and this is something that is incredibly admirable for someone in the eyes of millions to do.
OCD is a disorder that over 4 million people have to live with and raising awareness and acceptance of this disorder is imperative.
Citation
Haddad, Jessica, et al. “Germs: ‘No Deal’ for Host Howie Mandel.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 24 Nov. 2009, https://abcnews.go.com/2020/howie-mandel-public-obsessive-compulisve-disorder-fear-germs/story?id=9153966.
The topic of OCD really interests me. I like to think that I have minor OCD if that is even a thing. I get it from my dad, he is very organized and likes to have everything clean but not necessarily in the right place. Whenever we have family vacations she always gets kind of stressed out and trying to organize everything so no one forgets anything. On the other hand, I don’t really like people touching my things and I am also pretty organized, in my own way. I won’t be anxious is someone touches my things or doesn’t put something back in its right place, but I will adjust it or clean up after that person isn’t looking. I know it is weird and I don’t really like being this way, but I’m not like this all the time. I refer to it as minor OCD because I usually feel this way with people that I don’t really know or that I’m not familiar with.
Great description of OCD and great real-life example! I used to watch Deal or No Deal with my family all the time as a child, so I’ve always known Howie Mandel had OCD. But as a young child, I used to think it was funny, instead of a real disorder that comes with real struggles. Yes, Howie Mandel is a comedian so he goes along with the joke that he is a “clean freak” or “germophobe,” titles made by society that, when you think about it, can actually be very disheartening and degrading. As a kid, I thought Mandel’s fist bumps and other actions (like extra-cautiously running through the crowd of fans on America’s Got Talent) were comical, but as an adult, I understand OCD is a psychological disorder, and I’m sure it’s a lot harder than it seems. I didn’t know he had a book out, and from how you described, it definitely is a lot harder than I thought! I never thought about the implications on his family now that he has kids, and it’s now really sad to think about how he’s sometimes forced to isolate himself from his family as a result.