it isnt actually good or normal to have moral dilemmas every day about which posts you reblog. it isn't actually good or normal to check and recheck every message you send "just in case" you sent porn instead of a 'hi how are you'. it isn't actually good or normal to believe that your day will only go well if you have a specific keychain or whatever with you. like i'm not going to diagnose you but i do think some of you need to look into obsessive-compulsive disorder beyond "ha ha funny man wash his hands" portrayals.

I always tell people that even if they’re not pursuing diagnosis they should at least look at OCD support organizations’ pages on moral scrupulosity because that mindset is one you can literally see people developing in real time online.

I find this can help chip away a bit at stigma and confusion for people who have misconceptions that rituals can’t be mental (much of what people will describe as “checking for thought crimes” sounds a LOT like a mental ritual), as well as guide them towards tools for breaking the cycle of intrusive thoughts, obsession and ritual—or at the very least help persuade them that rituals reinforce, rather than “fix” those obsessions.

Like I do absolutely think people, especially ones who have access to counseling already, should raise and ask about these issues, including “I’m wondering if I might have OCD because…” (that is part of how I got diagnosed!), but these resources can be helpful for those who maybe haven’t had that kind of thought pattern before but encouraged themselves to do so because of social pressure to the point where they now have to un-learn it (essentially where it’s become disordered thinking) but will maybe balk at the idea of diagnosis because it hasn’t always been like that, or similar situations.

I try to emphasize that tools like this are open to anyone for whom they might be helpful, whether or not they have diagnosed OCD. Especially because some people who may get a diagnosis in future can still educate themselves now, and perhaps work towards one that way.

But for real, since I’ve started talking about OCD on my blog I’ve had literally half a dozen people talk to me (anon or not) about “…oh shit I had no idea OCD could look like [xyz thing]” and have The Realization, some of whom I know got diagnosed later and others of whom felt empowered to look into it when they hadn’t before because they were worried that seeking help with scrupulosity would be “appropriating OCD experiences” (people struggling with scrupulosity being scrupulous around needing help is definitely a bigger thing than I realized—it’s not just stigma or ignorance!).

Which is why I try to emphasize that everyone can and should take some time to learn about this stuff! The worst that can happen is you go “hm that doesn’t describe my experience” and you still know more about OCD and are better-prepared to support people who do have it.