Isn’t everyone a little bit OCD? Busting the myths surrounding OCD and raising awareness of OCD at work.
October 11th - 17th is OCD Awareness Week, a global campaign fronted in the UK by OCDuk.org. This year, OCD UK are raising awareness by busting the myths surrounding OCD. Here at fifty50 Coaching, we want to support workplaces in understanding the disruption and challenges millions of OCD sufferers face each year.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder in which people experience recurring, unwanted and undesirable thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsession), accompanied by a need to do something repetitively (compulsions). Sufferers believe that these repetitive behaviours and rituals help ward off obsessive thoughts, protecting them from harm. Yet, these behaviours, such as; repetitive hand washing, checking on things multiple times, counting or cleaning, can significantly interfere with daily activities and social interactions.
Busting some of the Myths surrounding OCD
(thanks to OCDuk.org)
Despite popular culture suggesting “we are all a little bit OCD”, only 1.2% of the UK population suffer from OCD. Just because you may have a very neat and tidy desk with everything kept in a specific place, or maybe you find asymmetric things or odd numbers annoying, does not mean you have OCD, nor are you a little bit OCD. OCD thoughts and behaviours significantly affect the sufferer’s quality of life and functioning. OCD isn’t an adjective, so using it to describe yourself can increase the stigma attached to OCD and prevent someone from seeking help.
People with OCD don’t Love cleaning! Yes, cleaning can be a behaviour associated with OCD, but it is done with misery and in response to distressing and unwanted thoughts, and it isn’t joyful! Contrary to popular belief, not all compulsions are apparent. Only 26.5% of people diagnosed with OCD carry out compulsive rituals involving cleaning or washing. Many compulsions are thinking based and harder to spot. For example, someone with OCD may regularly check their own body or repeatedly remember past events, or avoidance based.
OCD and Working
OCD can have a significant, adverse effect on a person’s ability to do their job to the best of their capabilities. OCD can hinder performance and stifle the potential to reach professional goals. The compulsions associated with OCD can create misunderstanding between colleagues, especially when sufferers don’t feel confident to share their OCD diagnosis and struggles.
Like all other mental health challenges, OCD sufferers may experience discrimination while at work. Sadly, making jokes and trivialising OCD is a common type of discrimination sufferers may face and one that our popular culture can reinforce. Workplaces must recognise the potentially damaging impact of language and introduce ways to create a culture that provides psychological safety for OCD to be discussed with sincerity. People with OCD do have a sense of humour and do enjoy jokes!
What could OCD look like in the workplace?
Identifying OCD in the workplace can be tricky as compulsions may be misinterpreted. For example, someone with OCD may need to check and recheck files, make slow progress taking longer than expected when completing tasks, and give their colleagues the impression they are disorganised, unmotivated, and procrastinate.
A person has the right to chose whether they disclose or don’t disclose any condition to their employer and, if they do disclose their OCD, it is the employer’s duty to make reasonable adjustments (Equality Act, 2010). As with any mental health condition, this may include allowing additional time off for therapy, ensuring appropriate workplace wellbeing support & interventions are readily accessible and encouraged. People with OCD may also need specific adjustments to be made to help reduce the triggers. For example, if sharing a desk is a challenge triggering obsessions and compulsions, it may be reasonable to provide a separate desk that isn’t used by anyone else to reduce this trigger.
If a colleague comes to you to share their feelings or fears, we encourage you to be as non-judgmental and sincere as possible, supporting them in having conversations that will help them do their job well. Having a supportive working environment can aid the recovery of OCD, so employers will make a difference simply by making sure good employee support systems and well-communicated wellbeing policies are in place.
For more information on OCD, please see www.ocduk.org.