Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that causes uncontrollable thoughts, called obsessions, and behaviors, called compulsions, that interfere with daily activities. These compulsions can be repeated numerous times throughout the day in order to soothe the anxiety associated with the obsessions. Common obsessions are the need to be clean, have things in order or specific places, and symmetry. OCD is chronic and there is no cure for the disorder. Many people suffering with OCD also have anxiety or depression because of their obsessions and compulsions. They feel like they cannot escape their disorder because it is so long-lasting and uncontrollable.
I know two people with OCD. One person, my dad, has a milder form of OCD whereas the other, my 6thgrade teacher, had serious problems controlling his compulsions. My dad is obsessed with keeping himself clean. He had a shower built in his office bathroom so he can shower at work whenever he feels dirty and he washes his face more than 5 times a day. He is not scared of dirt but instead, he just feels the need to be clean more often than the average human. He keeps hand sanitizer in his car, desk, bedside drawer, bathroom, and pockets.
My 6thgrade teacher let his OCD interfere with his ability to teach in class. Whenever a student would sneeze during his lessons my teacher would make them wash their hands in front of the whole class. He would also clean off the desks and chairs before and after a new group of students came into the classroom. He would get calls from parents complaining that he put their child on the spot in front of all the students. During flu season he would act anxious and uptight about all the germs in his classroom. I remember this being a struggle for him and he would tell us about his diagnosis, but at the time we did not understand what he was really going through. I believe that this disorder interfered with the ability of children to open up and feel close to him. We all saw him as an uptight and weird man but now I realize he had a disorder that is life-changing.
OCD can be a constant struggle for some people. Some of those affected, like my dad, have little obsessions and compulsions that mildly alter their day, and others, like my teacher, have obsessions that change the way they perform at work and interact with others. There is no cure, so those affected with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are constantly in an anxious state which is unfortunate for them, and their relationships.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
In the beginning paragraph of your post offered a great description of what OCD is and how it causes issues in everyday life although, I’m not sure if every case is chronic. I believe very mild cases can be cured with treatment but more severe cases can be chronic. Relating to your real life examples I also had a person close to me who suffered from a more severe form of OCD. This person dealt with intrusive thoughts that were very disturbing. This person believed they were going to die or had graphic thoughts of family members or friends dying or experienced sexual thoughts many times a day. The person did not want to think about these things and became upset by having these thoughts all of the time and knew that it was not right. It was hard to watch someone having to think about these awful intrusive things when they did not want to think about them at all but they couldn’t help it.
It frustrates me deeply when people refer to OCD as being a very tidy or clean person because that does not describe the illness at all. Although being very organized is a popular small side effect there is much more to this mental illness. People with OCD suffer intrusive thoughts that scare them and those around them. A person I knew with OCD even wished they were not living so they did not have to deal with these thoughts. OCD is common and it needs to be understood more by the general public. The two examples you gave are very common ways people deal with OCD but there is a wide range of ways people must be aware of to fully understand what OCD is.