Interview at Depressed (but not unhappy): My Experience with OCD
My good friend Laura has a wonderful blog called Depressed but Not Unhappy where she discusses depression and mental health issues within an LDS context. I recently did an interview with her about my own experiences as an OCD sufferer, and thought I would pass the links along to my readers.
(If you are struggling with OCD, please see my books recommendations page for 5 books that helped transform my life and made a dramatic impact on my ability to successfully manage my OCD. If you need someone to talk to, you are welcome to private message me on Facebook or email me at katie_in_logan [at] yahoo [dot] com).
Posted on March 24, 2011, in Mental Health, Mormonism, Personal and tagged mental health, Mormonism, ocd. Bookmark the permalink. 13 Comments.
Standing, Sitting, Lying Down 
Katie, anytime and every time I talk to you or read what you’ve written, it makes me wish that I lived closer to you and we could hang out every day, because I just absolutely adore you. You are such an incredible woman, and I am so glad that I get to call you my friend. Love, love, love, and many hugs to you. ❤
Katy, I feel exactly the same about you and am very thankful for your friendship. 🙂 Thanks for your support and encouragement.
Thank you for sharing this.
Excellent posts! I’m wondering if you’ve done any reading on obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and pure-O OCD (a new term to me) and what the differences and/or similarities between them might be. Thanks!
Hi Eric, that’s a good question. I’m not an expert, of course, but my understanding is that OCPD and OCD are actually pretty different, though there might be some overlap.
OCD is an anxiety disorder that consists of intrusive thoughts that frequently present as doubt-filled “what if” questions (i.e. obsessions; “what if my hands aren’t really clean?”, “what if I didn’t really lock the door?”, “what if I’m really a psychopath and don’t know it?”) and repeated behavior patterns designed to curb the anxiety spikes the obsessive thoughts cause (i.e. compulsions; washing hands repeatedly, checking and re-checking the door, telling oneself, “I’m a good person” over and over).
OCPD is a personality disorder characterized by excessive perfectionism and need for order and control. With OCPD, no obsessions are present. So while an OCD person will, for example, make excessive lists in order to prevent something terrible from happening (often while recognizing that it’s unnecessary and irrational), someone with OCPD will justify it as a way of being more efficient and won’t see anything wrong with it. It also won’t be in response to an obsessive fear.
“Pure-O” is kind of a misnomer — I believe that all OCD involves both obsessions and compulsions. It’s just that in what is called “Pure-O,” compulsions are primarily mental behaviors (repeating certain thoughts, ruminating in an attempt to “solve” or “get to the bottom of” an obsessive doubt), as opposed to physical behaviors (washing hands, checking locks).
Does that make any sense?
Here’s an article where I got some of my info if you want to do more reading:
http://ocd.about.com/od/otheranxietydisorders/a/OCD_OCPD.htm
Eric, they’re not really a different disorder. Like Katie said, it’s just that the “Pure-O”‘s compulsions that are generated by obsessive thoughts are not necessarily physical actions. So yeah, it’s a bit of a misnomer.
Right. OCPD is a different disorder from OCD, but “Pure-O” OCD is just a “nickname” for when OCD presents with mental compulsions instead of physical ones.
Oh, my bad; I didn’t realize that OCD and OCPD were different. Interesting.
I hate when people who have OCPD or who are just sort of anal retentive in general laugh and joke about how they have OCD. OCD is not a quirk. OCD is debilitating.
Thanks for the info. Some of these things run in my extended family, so I find them interesting.
I hate when people who have OCPD or who are just sort of anal retentive in general laugh and joke about how they have OCD. OCD is not a quirk. OCD is debilitating.
Completely agree.
The other thing they say, when they’re trying to be sympathetic, is, “Oh, I think everyone is a little OCD sometimes.”
I know they mean well and I don’t take it personally or get offended or anything, but honestly — that you color code your closet or disinfect your countertop isn’t quite the same experience. 🙂
So say we all.
Oh Katie! You are inspiration to me! I am passing on to you a Stylish Blogger Award because you are so stylish and your blog often makes my day. The details are at the page on my blog below. I don’t know if you’ve recieved this before, but be aware that this is very prestigious! 😉
http://zacandmindydeliciousdish.blogspot.com/2011/04/stylish-blogger-award.html
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