Explaining OCD

copyright 2000

One of the biggest challenges of OCD is explaining it. It often appears as a moral weakness, a lack of faith in both self and God or as just plain weirdness. We can't explain our behavior and we feel like we can't reveal the extent of our behavior, so we withdraw. It's easier to live in a narrow world of secrecy than to reveal ourselves, even to those closest to us.

But while that veil of secrecy protects us from the pain of misunderstanding and the stares of strangers, it also builds a wall between us and the encouragement and support we so desperately need.

The best weapon we have for breaking down that wall is education - education of ourselves and of others - first our friend and relatives, then our communities. The simplest explanation is "I have a brain problem - obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD. It's a problem in the way my brain works, a chemical imbalance."

Most people don't want or need to know the details. Just seeing my understanding and acceptance seems to help them accept my illness. But for those closest to me it helps to explain what we know about OCD. Want to catch people off guard and bring OCD into perspective? Start by explaining another, more acceptable, illness.

Let's look at another disease - diabetes. Type I diabetes is caused by destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas which are responsible for producing insulin. The cause of Type II diabetes varies. In both, the problem is inadequate insulin production. The treatment of diabetes involves a total lifestyle change. They may need to take insulin or oral medications that stimulate the islets to produce insulin. In addition, diabetics must adjust their diet, exercise and stress levels. Less is known about OCD, but experts are piecing together the puzzle that is OCD.

The following is a revised excerpt from The OCD Workbook, Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by Bruce M. Hyman, Ph.D. and Cherry Pedrick, RN (http://marvelite.prohosting.com/ocdworkb... :

There is growing evidence that it is caused by subtle variations in brain structure and circuitry. The most widely held theory is that the cause is related to abnormal levels of one of the brain's vital chemical messengers - serotonin. Serotonin plays a role in many biological processes, including mood, aggression, impulse control, sleep, appetite, body temperature, and pain. Serotonin dysregulation has also been implicated in depression, eating disorders, self mutilation and schizophrenia.

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