For a while now I've known a guy who suffers badly from OCD but I've never spoke to him about it until now even though it's always been a fascination of mine. I asked him these questions through a social network site just because I wouldn't have wanted him to feel pressured into entering an environment he feels uncomfortable with because of his OCD, as well I didn't feel comfortable going to his home because I know him but not enough to feel comfortable myself in that setting. The young man's name is David and he's a 22 year old who works for the council. I came up with some questions to get a deeper understanding of how he lives on a daily basis to compare it to my own life.
1. What type of OCD do you suffer from most frequently? E.g Checking, hoarding, contamination?
- I check things are turned off and I check if things are clean and tidy before I leave my house, I do this every single time but it's contamination OCD that effects my life the most.
2. How long have you suffered from contamination OCD?
- It's only really developed over the last couple of years.
3. Do you know what triggered it?
- I think it was when my auntie brought it to my attention that biting your nails is basically the same as licking everything you touch throughout the day...Like you wouldn't go around licking door handles would you? And I used to have a really bad habit of biting my nails so that got me into the habit of washing my hands all the time.
4. About how many hours a day is contamination on your mind?
- All day. Even sometimes in my dreams I'm being contaminated...it;s definitely started to control my life.
5. What environments do you find the most difficult to be in?
- Bathrooms, especially public bathrooms and public offices. I hate public transport as well because I can't push the button on the bus without pulling my sleeve over my hand and even then I sometimes feel as though it's too dirty...I often just wait for someone else to press it. The offices are a big problem I have because so many people use the equipement like staplers and keyboards, I hate having to visit the offices for work.
6. What objects pose the biggest threat to you?
- Well office equipment like I said...and taps in bathrooms. I clean all of my taps, switches and handles daily around my house.
7. What precautions or coping mechanisms do you take when you're in a public area?
- I carry around hand sanitizer all the time andI use my sleeves to open doors and press buttons, etc...as well as just not visiting public areas very often.
8. Does your OCD have an impact on your social life?
- My social life is almost none existant. I used to go out a lot with friends but it's got to a stage where even personal contact or close range interaction has become a problem. The cleaning routines take up a lot of my time so it wouldn't leave me much time to socialise anyway.
These are the questions I've asked him so far just to find out basic information surrounding OCD and his life. I would have liked to have met up with him face to face so I could analyse his reactions to the surroundings and to what I was saying but like I've previously mentioned, I wouldn't want to create an awkward situation. I will however suggest the idea to him and see what he thinks! I am definitely going to find more questions to ask him to explore deeper into his life because it's giving me a real insite to how he lives and this is something I find extremely interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment