This year, International OCD Awareness Week takes place from October 9-15. OCD Awareness Week began in 2009 to reduce stigma and bring more awareness to OCD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by repetitive and unwanted intrusive thoughts, called obsessions, and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions, called compulsions. Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety. Obsessions can fall into various categories, such as contamination and harm. For instance, some people with OCD have obsessions over fears of being responsible for something terrible happening. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that people with OCD feel the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought. Compulsions can also fall into various categories, such as checking and repeating. For example, some people with OCD have the compulsion of repeating activities in multiples, like doing a task a specific number of times because that’s a “safe” number. Although people without OCD may do some of these things, people with OCD generally can’t control their thoughts or behaviors, spend a substantial amount of time on these thoughts and behaviors, and experience significant problems in their lives as a result of these thoughts and behaviors.

Despite being a relatively common disorder, around 2 to 3 million adults in the United States having it, OCD is heavily stigmatized. Many people minimize the severity of OCD by thinking that everyone is “a little bit OCD”, OCD isn’t a big deal, or that OCD is just about cleaning and being neat. At the same time, some people think that people with OCD are unable to live happy lives due to the severity of the disorder. None of these statements are true, though. Not everyone is “a little bit OCD” because OCD isn’t an adjective or a personality trait, it’s a disorder that affects the lives of many people. The brains of people with OCD are wired differently than people without it, so people with OCD cannot simply stop their obsessions and compulsions. Although some people think OCD isn’t a big deal, that couldn’t be further from the truth. For many people with OCD, obsessions and compulsions can be so overwhelming and time-consuming that they get in the way of their ability to function. The World Health Organization even lists OCD as one of the ten most disabling conditions by financial loss and a decrease in quality of life. Despite this, people with OCD are still able to live happy and fulfilling lives when they receive the proper treatment. Therapy and medication can be very beneficial in helping people manage their OCD.

This OCD Awareness Week, it’s important to recognize that OCD is a serious disorder that shouldn’t be downplayed or minimized. Taking the time to learn about OCD and confronting its stigmas is vital to improving the lives of people with this disorder.