Unanswered Questions I Can Live With
When you were told you have OCD, what was your reaction? Were you surprised? Were you relieved?
For me, it opened a can of worms in the form of questions that will probably never get answered. Let’s find solace in the possibility that many of us are in the same boat.
Where did it come from?
Why do I have OCD? Is it genetics? Was it an evolutionary trait gone wrong? If I have children, will they have OCD too?
Why is it so disrespected?
Maybe I’m biased, but it seems like society especially takes OCD for granted. Do any of these sound familiar?
The TV shows that portray OCD as a funny quirk
The T-shirts that look like some variation of:
The overused, “I’m so OCD” comments
What if I caught it earlier?
I was diagnosed during my freshman year at MIT. But I can remember several occasions where I showed symptoms as a kid:
Skipping certain steps on the sidewalk
Closing my eyes to pray silently for a few seconds while nobody was looking
Repeating certain phrases to protect my family from harm
What if someone noticed that what I was doing wasn’t normal and took me to a therapist? Is earlier always better?
I don’t know, but that’s okay
I’ll probably never know the answer to these questions. Maybe you’ve had similar questions growing up with OCD. It’s important to remember that you’d be the same person you are now even if you had the answers.
That being said, it’s a fun exercise to just ask. So, if you’re feeling up to it, comment below a question that you’re okay with never knowing the answer to.